Down the Rabbit Hole
by freebird4
Summary: AU. To save Will from his deteriorating state, Tessa must aid him in battling the demons that haunt him. Gluttony. Greed. Pride. Sloth. Lust. Envy. Wrath. Can Tessa save Will and prove to him that he is worth loving? A tale of fallen angels and redemption.
1. Sanity

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Note:** Hello, world of fanfiction. I've been merely reading and creepily stalking stories, instead of actually publishing anything worth reading. This has been on my phone (I write my stories on my phone) for quite a while now. I'd saw a good four months? Oops. My bad.

I'm about to warn you now. I suck at updates. I'm typically pretty busy. And as of now, I should be studying for a chem exam...

I should hopefully finish this before September. Hopefully. Seriously, don't hold your breath though. I have summer school, then I'll be gone for a part of August. Then I'll be taking driving school. And not to mention, I'm hoping to get as much of my social life in before it becomes non-existent in September.

I'll be going into Grade 12... so surely, you guys can understand my dilemma. Not to mention I'm a science student. So good luck to me.

Anyway, I'm rambling. Sorry. Here's my first story. I hope you guys enjoy it.

PS. The Alice in Wonderland quotes appear just because it was my favourite childhood story.

PPS. This story will remain in 3rd person, limited omniscient. :) So not POV's.

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**Chapter Songs:**

_Twice - Little Dragon_

_Breathe Me - Sia_

_Waking Dream - Natalie Walker_

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_"'But I don't want to go among mad people,' said Alice.  
'Oh, you can't help that,' said the [Cheshire] cat. 'We're all mad here.'"_

_- Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Caroll_

* * *

**CHAPTER 1: SANITY**

The steps of seemingly soundless feet scattered across the dark, damp roads on the edges of London. A frigid rain pattered against the bricks and rooftops, languidly brushing against gritty shingles. Not that it was a rare occurrence to see rain drenching the streets of London, but it really added more complications to an already elaborate network of plans that could potentially go wrong.

William Herondale gave a slight shiver at the frozen touch of the droplets, falling from the sky. His already-taut jaw tightened even further as his awareness of his surroundings turned on high alert. In the night, midnight-blue eyes darted quickly, searching for any forms of movement.

The dusky street lanterns barely provided enough light for human sight. However, Will was satisfied that his runes allowed everything to become more visible. His inaudible footsteps and his ability to see the Downworld were also results of the onyx-coloured inky markings painted upon his pale skin.

Will's long fingers curled around _Azrael's_ hilt in anticipation for the upcoming battle – he had been waiting for this moment for a little over half a year. There was no better time like the present for justice to be served on a silver platter.

A few quiet whispers sounded from behind him as his sturdy boot soundless tapped with anxiety. The vibrations of another pair of footsteps were felt by Will, exuding a more weighted feel than the feathery touches of the other Nephilim's feet. If any of their footsteps had made a sound, the clamor of crunching pebbles behind Will would have been heard.

The streets of London were charmingly laid with oddly mismatched stones, providing a paved surface for horse-drawn carriages. Unfortunately, the constant pressure of steadfast wheels had quickly erode away at the road, leaving behind chips and minuscule crevices among the rocks.

"He should be here." Magnus grumbled, his aggravation growing by the second. With a slight flick of his heavily ring-adorned fingers, his feet suddenly hovered above the ground, leaving nothing but a wisp of pressured air in between. Fluidly, Magnus seemed to float as he approached the azure-eyed Shadowhunter. His fluttering, intricately designed cape made him appear as if he were merely visiting a ballroom party.

"He will," Will spoke with conviction, watching Magnus' cat eyes flitting around like a butterfly's wing. They glowed with a burning intensity amidst the alleyway. He held a great respect for the eccentric warlock, considering him to be one of his closest friends. Even to this day, Will still found it shocking that he had befriended a Downworlder.

"Stranger things have happened," replied Magnus, breezily.

_Stranger things, indeed_, Will mused. Subsequently, he realized that he had spoken his thoughts aloud, much to his irritation. Huffing silently, Will wished for his internal filter to activate more often; the lack of one was becoming quite bothersome in all the wrong moments. On the other hand, Will could not find fault in it at certain times – it normally provided a sense of comic relief to others. Both of which were greatly needed among the grim-faced Enclave members.

He absentmindedly rubbed the healing scratches on his cheek. _Blasted cat._

The nonchalant warlock moved back a couple steps and stopped, as if sensing some sort of motion. Magnus gestured to the slight tremble rippling across the crippled ground. The other Shadowhunters murmured to each other, strategizing and reviewing their plans.

Will's breathing quickened significantly as the rush of adrenaline surged through his pulsing veins. He struggled to keep his breaths silent and contained. As he shifted his weight subtly, Will crouched down a bit further, hiding himself from sight. It was not from fear of being spotted by a human – as they had used an immense amount of glamour – but from the worry of being spotted by the enemy.

His keen ears picked up on the slight pants of Shadowhunters surrounding him, before his eyes sharply settled on one person, whose breath was subtly heavier than the rest.

Jem.

Will took a split moment to study his trusted _parabatai_ and best friend. James Carstairs appeared as ashen as ever; his thick, lush hair had lost some of its ethereal luster. The moonlight seemed to create an illusion of light emitting from his shimmering silver eyes. The only familiar flickers of the healthy friend Will once knew were those eyes. The very ones that continuously twinkled and danced with dry humour and determination.

However, things at the moment were not looking well for the young Shadowhunter.

"Jem," Will spoke quietly. "You took the _yin fin_ before you came, did you not?" He questioned, worried for the one person his life centered and revolved around. Despite his sickly hue, the pale contours of Jem's slight features still appeared to be glowing underneath the dimly illuminated alleys.

"I'm alright, Will. Don't fret," was all Jem said reassuringly. His voice always held an exuberance and liveliness. Will internally admired the strength that blossomed from the depths of Jem's words. From someone physically weak, he spoke with the strengthened words of thousands.

Why had he allowed Jem to take on this task? Clearly, Will's _parabatai_ was in no condition to be fighting alongside the other Shadowhunters. The two had fought the night before, arguing whether Jem was to go or stay with the others within the Institute. Soon enough, his worry and anger quickly faded when Jem had said the words that continued to resonate in his mind.

_Where thou goest, I will go._

The first line of their parabatai oath.

The first line that lit the flame that was their bond.

Will remained uncharacteristically silent, but an unnerving, bottomless feeling eerily curled in the pit of his stomach. Feeling awfully sentimental – to the point at which he would have normally cringed – Will's fingers gently curled around and reassuringly squeezed Jem's arm.

The moment the warmth of his palm met Jem's sleeve, he shivered due to the coldness of the fabric. Without wavering, his striking eyes memorized his _parabatai's_ features. The word 'brothers' was too shallow of a word to describe the duo.

In return, Jem did the same, his attention never fluctuating from the man before him. Neither of them said their goodbyes.

No. They would not say goodbye. They would have to wait for another day. Will would never let anything touch Jem.

_If aught but death part thee and me._

**xx**

_Tick, tick._

_ Tick, tick._

Tessa Gray had seated herself primly on a soft, floral couch. Her storm-coloured eyes were watching the incessant ticks of the majestic grandfather clock, which stood out magnificently in the living area of the London Institute. Each tick of the second-hand almost drove her mad as the toe of boot tapped anxiously to the rhythm of the grandfather clock.

Feeling the need to divert her attention from her nervousness and frustration, she studied the dark sienna word of the intimidating clock. It was an antique, or so Henry said. And still efficient as ever. The effort placed into making the clock must have taken years as extravagant designs swirled, leaping around the dark wood. The brass pendulum hung heavily at its centre, swinging monotonously.

_Tick, tick._

Tessa noticed with amusement that the grandfather clock's ticking was synchronized with the sounds of her clockwork angel, which rested gingerly beneath her clavicle. On numerous occasions, Tessa discovered that her heartbeat often palpitated along with the clockwork piece.

It was all very odd, really. From the illustration in the Shadowhunter Codex, Tessa managed to piece together the coincidental facts. Her clockwork angel held a word before him… or her. Frankly, Tessa didn't know the gender of the angel. Of it angels even had specified genders – for that surely would hardly matter in heaven… _But I digress_, she mused to herself. As for the clockwork device, it almost appeared as if the angel was _Raziel_, the Angel that created the Shadowhunters, holding _Mallaentach_ in his hands.

The irony was lost on her; somehow, Tessa found herself thrown in the Shadowhunter world with a questionable clockwork piece and extraordinary powers. Some days, she pinched herself, checking that this was not an alternate reality she had conjured up in her mind. To both her delight and despair, everything that had occurred was not but a mere dream.

Almost laughing quietly to herself, Tessa realized that her distraction was working. Her mind had mindlessly wandered off on a variety of tangents. Her thoughts trailed on with insignificant babblings of spontaneous pieces of information.

"Tessa, dear." Sophie entered the room, her hair uncharacteristically cascading down in a light brown waterfall. "You've been sitting there sullenly for the past two hours. You must stop heedlessly worrying."

"And how do you suppose I do that?" Tessa huffed, knowing full well that her words were childish. Regrettably, she couldn't help the sharpness of her tongue. Nevertheless, she continued venting, hoping that Sophie would understand at least half of what Tessa felt in that moment. "Frankly, I'm furious that Magnus even agreed to locking us in the Institute while the rest of them scatter off to battle Mortmain. I should be out there – this… this is useless. I'm useless."

Sophie winced as she realized the words applied to herself as well. With chagrin, Tessa immediately apologized for the insensitive comment, to which Sophie merely brushed off.

"You have already accomplished so much." Sophie praised, soothing the other woman's worries. "However, I do not mean this in offense, but can you physically defend yourself? I know we are able to, but not sufficiently, despite being vigorously taught the basics."

"And yet the basics aren't enough." Tessa relented, feeling the fight leave her. She was still bitter and aggravated at having only been left behind, but locked behind as well.

"They want to keep us safe. If we even stood a chance of defending ourselves, I would have fought them tooth and nail to be there. Nevertheless, it would be a futile attempt because I cannot. We cannot." Sophie affirmed, wisely. Tessa could then admire how insightful her companion was when Tessa, herself, was not.

Surrendering, Tessa nodded subtly to her friend, feeling terrible for taking out her anxiety on poor Sophie. However, she couldn't help the nagging feeling that even though wanting to help the Shadowhunters contributed to her indignant behaviour, most of her anxiety was directed towards the potential danger of the mission.

Tessa continued to gnaw away at her lower lip; a nervous habit she had developed since meeting the Dark Sisters. Even despite Sophie's reassuring words, Tessa could not help but feel slightly betrayed at the others as well. They had trained rigorously, yet not enough.

Turning her gaze out the window, she watched the ignorant, giggling mundane girls go about their lives. There was no more care in the world for them, other than what the newest style of dress was, or how tiny their waists had been tightly cinched with the binding terrors of corsets.

Sophie patted Tessa's arm gingerly before heading off, leaving Tessa to her morbid thoughts.

Internally groaning, Tessa heard Bridget's mournful singing echoing fervently through the hallways. Her ballad was curiously free of any murder, yet maintained the same depressing tone.

_"'Tis the last rose of summer_  
_Left blooming alone;_  
_All her lovely companions_  
_Are faded and gone;_  
_No flower of her kindred,_  
_No rosebud is nigh,_  
_To reflect back her blushes,_  
_To give sigh for sigh._

_I'll not leave thee, thou lone one!_  
_To pine on the stem;_  
_Since the lovely are sleeping,_  
_Go, sleep thou with them._  
_Thus kindly I scatter,_  
_Thy leaves o'er the bed,_  
_Where thy mates of the garden_  
_Lie scentless and dead._

_So soon may I follow,_  
_When friendships decay,_  
_From Love's shining circle_  
_The gems drop away._  
_When true hearts lie withered_  
_And fond ones are flown,_  
_Oh! who would inhabit,_  
_This bleak world alone?"_

Shivering, something struck her heart with a pang of agony and Tessa felt herself crumble at the truth in the words. It was maddening how truly terrifying immortality was. Her eyelids gently closed and she saw various irises of silver, azure, chocolate, and emerald flitting through her mind. She would only have Magnus after a while to keep her company. Not that she minded Magnus, but the thought of everything she knew disappearing from her life made her heart clench with anguish.

Tessa suddenly felt mournful for Magnus.

All those centuries at loving others, only to lose them.

Sighing, Tessa mused that she would never get used to Bridget's depressing ballads. They certainly tortured many ears. Thankfully, Bridget's cooking compensated for the horrendous words that drift through the Institute. And surprisingly, this ballad was much milder than the other ones she had sung.

With a wistful gaze out the rain-coated window, Tessa waited for some ray of hope to appear.

**xx**

The silence was penetrating in the dining room, with just Tessa, Cecily, Sophie, a very pregnant Charlotte, and Church. She glanced down at the large, grey ball of fur that lay at her boots, purring contently. It was the happiest she had seen the feline for quite some time; his contentment was most likely due to the absence of Will.

The antagonistic bond that Will and Church had was really something to behold. Just the other day, Will had accidently – or so he claimed – stepped on Church's tail. The cat had hissed menacingly but slinked away. Little did they know that Church was silently planning to avenge his injured tail, through leaping onto Will's face from a nearby shelf in the library and clawing at his cheek.

Will's initial reaction to the scratch on his cheek was so woeful, it was almost comical.

"_That damned cat marred my flawlessly chiselled features." He turned to Church with a mocking expression of fury. "You better sleep with one eye open before you end up in my stew."_

"_Will, cat stew is taboo and frowned upon by society." Jem replied, watching on with a lop-sided grin as he held the very bane of Will's existence on his lap. Tessa let out a small laugh at the entire exchange._

_Rolling his azure eyes at Jem's dry statement, Will threw his arms up in exasperation._

"_I am taboo and frowned upon society. It would not matter in the least as society is already expecting me to do something utterly repulsive and disgusting." Will proclaimed, smirking. "I would simply be fulfilling my role."_

_There were no objections, much to Will's quiet disdain._

Laughing lightly, curious glances were cast at Tessa from the other women around the table. She merely shook her head and continued with her meal. Tonight, they were having a light chicken broth with an assortment of vegetables haphazardly sliced and thrown into it. Tessa didn't mind vegetables in the least and ate the hearty meal, having never been particularly picky with Bridget's cuisine.

"When do you expect Buford will be due?" Cecily asked, lightheartedly, grinning at Charlotte.

"I'm not naming my child Buford." Charlotte muttered indignantly, flushing at the mere mention of the name. "I'm estimating he'll be approximately two months away."

"He or she is certainly large." Tessa gestured to Charlotte's ever-expanding abdomen. She would never say so, but Charlotte looked as if she were about to head into labour at any moment.

"I'm certain it will be a baby boy." The pregnant woman was adamant on her intuition.

"Shame if it's a girl; all those trousers will have gone to waste." Sophie released a dulcet giggle.

"It's a boy." Charlotte said, with conviction.

"Of course it will be a boy," Cecily soothed the frustrated, hormonal woman.

"I solely blame Henry for that one – he's been fussing like a madman over my diet to only certain choices. At the rate he's going, I'll have soon resorted to eating on poached eggs and sweet potatoes." Huffing, Charlotte stabbed her chicken more vigorously and mockingly shoved it into her mouth, almost savagely. Amused laughs erupted around the table at the consistent rises and falls of Charlotte's emotions.

"It could be far worse. You may rest easier tonight knowing that Henry has yet to discover that all your cravings for sticky toffee pudding and fairy cakes really have no effect on the baby. All those midnight runs to the bakery in vain." Tessa mused, finding Henry's permanently frantic expression absurdly humorous when he searched high and low to satisfy Charlotte's sweet cravings.

"Perhaps," Charlotte replied, wryly. "Though I suppose I should cut down on the confectionaries. Pray I do not gain extra weight from all the sugary foods I've consumed; they'll likely remain with me even after my child is born."

"I'm sure that after training some more following childbirth, you'll have returned to your original weight." Sophie reassured, patting Charlotte's hand comfortingly.

In the background, Tessa heard Bridget singing another ballad. This time, it was about a mother who took her infant and carved its heart out with a knife, before dropping the body into the Thames. Charlotte winced at the poor choice of music and excused herself, her worry for her husband and her child taking a toll on her physical state.

"Must Bridget really have to sing about mothers murdering their children?" Sophie frowned, watching the entrance to the kitchen, warily.

Cecily snorted in a highly unlady-like fashion.

"I daresay, she has the worst timing for her ballads."

Unnervingly, Tessa felt as if she were staring Will in the eyes when she spoke with his younger sister. The same twilight-coloured eyes had a more of a violet hue in them, y et held the same steadfast, strong-headed, mischievous glint.

"It isn't appropriate at all." Sophie muttered.

Tessa shrugged, drinking the last of her chicken broth. "Bridget has never been appropriate. I do not actually believe that she knows what she is singing about anymore. Bridget appears to just absentmindedly hum whatever comes to mind."

"And murder comes to her mind?" Sophie asked, incredulously. "Perhaps we should be wary around her."

"We cannot deny her exquisite culinary skills though." Tessa winked cheekily, feeling elated for some odd reason. "Unless I wake to a kitchen knife at my throat, I shan't worry about her much."

"Oh, I'm not so fearful about Bridget physically harming us." Cecily sarcastically sighed, glancing down at her chicken broth. "However, by the year's end, we'll all be dreaming of murdering some innocent citizen; her terrible melodies will repeat like broken records in our minds."

A growing unease settled into Tessa's bones, though not from Bridget. She had a terrible feeling that something horrid was to come.

_No_, Tessa thought. _Jem, Will, and the others are all highly capable_. There shouldn't be a problem, especially with the rest of the London Enclave members behind them. Not to mention some Nephilim that had joined them from France, Scotland, and Wales.

Dismissing the steadily increasing ominous feeling, Tessa straightened her spine, bid Sophie and Cecily farewell before travelling to the Institute's magnificent library.

The room itself took Tessa's breath away each time she took a step in. Whenever she entered the library, she felt an overwhelming sense of calm and comfort, as if the books were her safeguard. Church had trailed lazily behind her footsteps, making his way to seat himself on top of his favourite red chair. Smiling at the feline, Tessa moved to light a couple of the oil lamps with care, illuminating the room along with the starry night sky. Reaching onto a shelf, her fingers clasped around a familiar witchlight rune-stone and watched as it added even more luminance to the room.

With a satisfied smile, Tessa opened _Vathek_, running her fingers over the amusing stanzas of Will's poetry. Her fingers grazed over the sharp indents of the inked letters, pressed into the page with more forceful care than necessary.

Jem had broken off the engagement after discovering that there were feelings brewing beneath the surface between Tessa and Will. It had not been a beautiful break. The conversation had ended with Tessa in tears, as well as a strained relationship between Jem and Will for approximately a month. She felt awful and the three had avoided each other for quite a while.

That was, until Charlotte put her foot down. In hormonal fury, she told them that they had an incredible friendship and to allow something this trivial was far from mature. With more choice words, Charlotte had begun to cry, leaving Tessa, Will, and Jem in shock before they reached to comfort her. From that moment, they worked to mend the friendships that had been broken. Soon enough, they put aside all antagonism and fell into an easy camaraderie.

Lightly brushing against the jade against her wrist, Tessa found herself subconsciously smiling. Jem had insisted that she keep the jade as a token of the depth of their friendship.

Sighing wistfully, Tessa fluidly unlaced her dark boots, smoothening away flecks of dirt that had gathered on the leather. She then lifted the fabric of her skirt so that she could bring her knees up onto the chair. Her aunt would have rolled over in her grave if she saw how ungraceful the position was.

With the flick of a wrist, she gentled pulled at the dog ear paper and continued where she left off, fascinated immensely by Vathek's gradual, but bloodthirsty descent into hell. He was punishing and bribing scholars to relay what the message was that was written on his sabers.

'_Woe to the rash mortal who seeks to know that of which he should remain ignorant, and to undertake that which surpasses his power,'_ was inscribed on one sword.

Her thunderstorm-coloured orbs flickered over the words a couple times, unable to stop the blatant parallels between Vathek and Mortmain's overwhelming desire for power and knowledge. Both stopping for nothing and no one.

The ultimate corruption.

**xx**

A murky fog floated ominously through the atmosphere, sending chills up and down her spine.

Tessa squinted as she attempted to distinguish her surroundings; however, it was so dimly-lit, she felt as if she had no vision at all. Her hand immediately sought the comfort of her clockwork angel, only to find that her fingers met her clavicle. The familiar metal and beating rhythm of the tiny infernal device was missing. Panicking, Tessa's fingers jumped to her wrist, only to discover that Jem's jade bracelet was missing as well. The two things that gave her comfort were gone and she felt an uneasy feeling well up inside her.

What had Nate said about always keeping her clockwork angel safely with her? Her mind was racing, attempting to decipher Nate's ambiguous statement and what the consequences of losing the clockwork piece meant.

Suddenly, the opaque mist had cleared, leaving a large, grassy meadow. Flowers of all sorts basked in the glorious sunlight that brilliantly lit the open space. Her legs, acting on their own accord, strolled into the meadow. Soft blades of grass brushed against her bare ankles with a feathery touch. Tessa could almost smell the aroma of floral scents, wafting into her nose.

"Hello?" Tessa called, shifting slowly through the flowers that appeared to hum every time her skirt made contact. She then noticed that the previously sunny day had become a moonlit night.

Suddenly, she began choking. Something was blocking her lungs' ability to grasp oxygen. Her eyes began to water fervently as a grey smoke billowed towards her in an almost threatening manner. She focused on something that was accumulating into a small pile in the distance.

Screams erupted in the distance.

It may have sounded cliché to say they were bloodcurdling, but Tessa felt her entire body convulse with shivers as the gruesome sound met her ears. Against her survival instinct, she ran towards the hellish cries, praying that the voices were not as familiar as they sounded. As she grew closer, she noticed that the accumulating pile was red.

Peering closer, her stomach lurched to see the curling flesh of her parents at the bottom.

"Mom? Dad?" Tessa whispered, hearing her blood pound loudly in her ears. Their eyelids had been eaten away by an unseen flame, leaving damaged, wide-eyed blank stares. Fragments of white could be seen through the bloody mess, only to realize that they were pieces of bone.

The next bodies were Shadowhunters, burned and battered beyond recognition. However, Tessa could only make out that they all had the same terrified expressions frozen on their features. A shock of brilliant red hair appeared and Tessa choked when she that Henry's hand was still clutching the device that he had once called a sensor. Charlotte's chocolate curls tumbled in a waterfall, matted with fresh blood and spongy, grey mass. Another wave of nausea swept through Tessa.

She then noticed Sophie, Gideon, Gabriel, and even Bridget's bodies lying like broken ragdolls. Their eyes were gauged out of their sockets, leaving a dark, sticky abyss. Sophie's mouth was perpetually trapped in a horrified 'o.'

Tessa wanted to avert her gaze but found that something held her vision on the lifeless bodies of her friends and family. She wanted to scream and kill whoever was responsible for this mass murder. However, something shimmering caught Tessa's attention in her peripheral vision. Something silvery.

Jem.

His body was beside the others, his chest rising and falling in ragged breaths. On his clothing was a deep red, sticky liquid. His pale, slight fingers clutched an oriental jade bracelet.

"Jem!" Tessa cried, trying to reach for her friend, but found that her legs remained immobile and frozen to the grown. The spilt blood was marring the perfection of the vividly green grass.

"Tessa…" Jem croaked, turning his silvery eyes on her. The moonlight made him appear even more ethereal and otherworldly. Once again, Tessa struggled to run towards her friend and help him.

"No, Jem!" She sobbed violently, still fighting to reach him.

"It's done… you're safe, Tessa." The corner of his lips then lifted up. "Promise me something though?"

"Of course." Her bottom lip was caught between her teeth again as tears flowed down her face.

"Promise you won't let my _parabatai_ die." His pallid features transformed into some cross between a grimace and a sad smile. "He loves you, you know…"

"Oh, Jem…" She felt dumbfounded and her expression crumpled with anguish. At once, her legs moved towards her companion. Kneeling, she took Jem's slender fingers in her own and squeezed them tightly.

"Promise, Tessa." Jem's voice caressed her ears like soft cashmere.

"Promise." Her voice was barely but a whisper and she began quivering with grief.

"_Wo ai ni,_ Tessa." Jem murmured, lifting a trembling hand to stroke her tear-stained cheek. "_Mizpah_." His ashen eyelids fluttered gently and his slight body stilled.

"_Mizpah_." Tessa whimpered, the word coming out as a garbled sob.

Before she could even register what was happening, Tessa heard a voice that she had become well-acquainted with.

"Tessa!" Will shouted, struggling to escape his captors. Tessa could not distinguish the men in black who were holding him. Her line of vision caught sight of his seraph blade, _Azrael_, on the ground a couple feet before her. "Don't give up on me, Tess…"

Her mind was spinning as she tried to gather her thoughts logically. Jem's dying wish had been to save his _parabatai_. She wanted to rush forwards to wave Will. Tessa had already lost her Jem – she couldn't lose Will as well. However, her feet continued to stay planted on the ground.

"No, God no!" Tessa shouted through her tears. "Not again! Will!"

"Tess, don't let go… don't abandon me…" Will gazed up at her with the most vulnerable expression she had ever seen; his azure eyes widened like an innocent child's.

"I can't move, Will…" She was desperate now, noticing the steel knife tenderly pressing against the alabaster skin of Will's throat. He immediately tensed with fear.

"Please don't let me lose myself…" His gentle voice was merely a whisper as it echoed through the slight wind. His eyes radiantly shone with vitality before dulling significantly as the silver blade was violently pushed through his smooth neck.

Tessa bolted upright in her bed, panting. Her hand flew up to her mouth as she released a muffled scream that had been built up. With her other hand, she reached to find the soothing cool of the clockwork metal still pulsing. Moreover, a jade bracelet dangled soundlessly against the tender flesh of Tessa's wrist.

Her heart was racing as she sat in the silence, trying to rid her mind of the images. After what seem like hours, Tessa managed to push herself off the bed. With trembling fingers, she lit the oil lamp in her room and pulled out her worn, leather-bound diary, flipping through the scraggly words and incessant ramblings of her mind. Finding an empty page, she dipped her pen into ivory ink and began to record her troubled thoughts for the next couple, hours, unable to stop her words from flowing.

It had been the same dream over and over again.

Tessa gave a feeble, but hysterical laugh as she tried to calm herself.

_I'm surely going mad._

**xx**

Frantic shouting could be heard downstairs. She recognized a frenzied voice as Gideon's. As swiftly as she could, Tessa shakily pulled on more modest attire and grabbed the witchlight, sprinting towards the front entrance of the Institute. The urgent voices gradually grew higher in volume until Tessa stumbled in on the scene.

Her eyes scanned through the large crowd of Shadowhunters and found a familiar top of ginger hair. Henry appeared worn, with a couple minor wounds. He somehow managed to smile reassuringly at Tessa, who attempted to give a small smile in return. With a couple inaudible words, Gideon Lightwood took a hold of Henry; his face was etched with fatigue, though he had not dire wounds. Tessa heard Sophie release a breath of relief as Gideon aided Henry towards the infirmary.

Tessa watched a couple familiar faces from the Enclave make their way into the Institute, stoic and weary. Abruptly, her chest felt unbearably tight as they spoke of casualties.

There had been fourteen.

Fourteen people who would never feel the warmth of the sun on their faces.

Fourteen people who would never taste pumpkin pie at Christmas and moan happily at the heavenly flavour.

Fourteen people who were gone. As quickly as a snap of the fingers.

The irony of her thoughts were exemplified when more people entered the room.

"Tessa," a voice said.

Her hardened gaze landed on Magnus Bane. The warlock had dark circles beneath his glimmering cat-like eyes and his hair was twisted and drenched with rain.

Tessa saw a sliver of silver.

In Magnus' arms, was Jem.

Stunned, Tessa's vision settled on the large wounds on his upper chest and abdomen. Just like my dreams, she thought bitterly. She ran forwards and took his face into her hands, the colour already having been drained from his angelic features. Smoothening away the silvery locks from his forehead, Tessa gazed up into Magnus' emerald eyes with fear.

"_Wo ai ni_, Tessa. _Mizpah_…" Dream Jem's goodbye resonated in her mind as she gently brushed her fingertips against his thin eyelids.

"Is he…" Tessa couldn't finish the rest of her sentence as her throat constricted with grief. It had been a dream – there wasn't even a slight possibility that part of it could actually be happening, Tessa argued internally, almost frenzied in her thoughts. Soon enough, she realized that it was futile.

What was worse was that Tessa already knew the answer to her question.

Magnus had always been flippant and nonchalant in his behaviour, forever watching life before him with a balance of severity and amusement. But in this moment, the life appeared to have drained out of his brilliantly mischievous eyes. The answer was evident in his pained expression.

She was still cradling Jem's limp head in her arms, knowing full well that she had gained the attention of the other Shadowhunters; regardless, she continued holding onto Jem as she knew she would never see him smile again. She would never see his silver eyes laughing alongside with hers at Will's antics.

A numb feeling crept further across Tessa's body as she glanced up at Gabriel Lightwood.

She released a strangled sob.

A shock of dark hair, mussed against a pale forehead was the first thing she saw. Ironically, Gabriel Lightwood was carrying the unconscious man, whose alabaster skin was darkened with smears of dirt across the contours of his face. Tessa felt her heart's steady rhythm stutter. Cecily released a small cry of anguish, her dainty hand flying up to cover her mouth as she took in the fragile body of her brother.

Will.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hey, by the way, the first 'ballad' Bridget sings? Yeah, it's actually a poem by Thomas Moore. But whatever.

I apologize for the lame jokes in here. It's a semi-heavy story. Humour just seems out of place, unless it's a lighthearted scene (like the dinner scene up there). This story will feature a couple dark scenes, but I'll be sure to give a warning at the beginning of those particular chapters.

So how about that LSD-induced dream? (Just kidding. No use of LSD here... though I believe opium will appear in later chapters).

Think Jem's really dead? How about Will? Who loves Church & Will's relationship? A side dish of hormonal, pregnant Charlotte anyone?

So, any speculations guys? Review and let me know! :)


	2. The Art of Falling

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Note: **Your reviews were amazing :) I guess this story was worth something after all...

I'm finally done with grade eleven. It feels fantastic. My report card is arriving in the mail this week. Can't wait! :) The universities are going to see it, so hopefully my exams didn't drop them too much...

The next chapter might not come as soon, as I begin summer school tomorrow. But I have the next chapter written out. Just needs revision.

Enjoy :)

* * *

**Chapter Songs:**

_Your New Twin-Sized Bed - Death Cab for Cutie_

_Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap_

_Selfless - It's Alive_

_Breath of Life - Florence & the Machine_

* * *

_"Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly,  
for she had plenty of time as she went down to look about her  
and to wonder what was going to happen next."  
_

_- Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Caroll_

* * *

_**Previously…**_

_A shock of dark hair, mussed against a pale forehead was the first thing she saw. Ironically, Gabriel Lightwood was carrying the unconscious man, whose alabaster skin was darkened with smears of dirt across the contours of his face. Tessa felt her heart's steady rhythm stutter. Cecily released a small cry of anguish, her dainty hand flying up to cover her mouth as she took in the fragile body of her brother._

_Will._

* * *

**CHAPTER 2: THE ART OF FALLING**

_Promise you won't let my _parabatai_ die_, Dream Jem's brittle voice whispered in her ear.

_Don't give up on me, Tess_, pleaded Dream Will in her other ear.

A surge of nausea swept through her system like a tsunami; it threatened to empty her stomach's contents in grief.

"What happened to him?" Cecily demanded fervently, tears threatening to spill over her pale cheeks. She leaped forward frantically, taking her brother's hand in hers. Violet eyes swiftly circled and studied Will's damaged body. She bit her lip to keep from crying out for the brother who had tried to keep his distance ever since she had first arrived at the Institute. Since that arrival, Cecily had always felt as if she were an unwelcome intruder to Will; this revelation chipped away at her heart. To be honest, Cecily had always dreamt about her reunion with her older brother. And it had been nothing like her sickeningly optimistic dreams appeared.

"Jem had… an episode. He became vulnerable in the midst of automatons – they were beginning to close in before Will-" Magnus was interrupted by the grieving, young woman.

"Please, stop." Cecily shuddered, feeling herself begin to hyperventilate. The rapid, strokes of breath increased as she clasped Will's pallid hand in hers. It was uncharacteristic of her to break down in front of an audience. Especially an audience that consisted of highly skilled Nephilim as well as the Enclave. She would stay strong. She had always been strong. Having a gambling alcoholic for a father, a depressed, neglectful mother, and having lost her sister and her brother had shaped her that way. Her voice then descended into a broken whisper. "Please don't take him away…"

_Will_. The word became caught in Tessa's throat, which felt as dry as the Sahara Desert. She helplessly gazed at Will's vulnerable state as she moved towards him, feeling the magnetic pull that had always tethered the two together. As her boots moved forwards, her limbs felt as if she were wading through water. With Cecily grasping his right hand, Tessa took his left.

"He is still alive. I need to bring him to the infirmary," Gabriel spoke sombrely, but in a gentle manner that Tessa had never heard before. Cecily glanced up with hardened eyes and held Gabriel's gaze for a couple moments, before reaching an understanding and releasing her brother's limp hand. Tessa tried to swallow the lump in her throat as she mirrored Cecily's actions. The two women were silent as they watched Gabriel and Will disappear into the dark hallway that led to the infirmary.

The _parabatai_ bond was sincerely a pure, beautiful thing – one of virtuous comradie, support, and unconditional love. _Agape_. Even the existence of such a connection was miraculous, going beyond what anyone else could fathom. Not that their bond was romantic, but it was something that only those with a _parabatai_ could understand.

This also meant that with no hesitation, _parabatai_ would give their lives for one another.

With a blank expression, Tessa watched everything in slow motion, as if she were underwater and staring up at the water's glimmering surface. Her world had shattered before her like a mirror, showering her in sparkling fragments of glass rain. She couldn't breathe. Her lungs desperately reached for air, but failed miserably to catch any. Unable to stop them, Tessa felt her cheeks become slick with salty water droplets.

"Jem must be delivered to the Silent City…" Someone spoke slowly behind her.

"No. Absolutely not." Tessa all but shouted. She was outraged and repulse that they had used the term '_delivered_.' "Jem is not a disposable object you can just '_deliver_.'"

The Shadowhunter woman who had spoken appeared chastised and her facial expression softened into a motherly gaze. "I apologize. My words were insensitive towards one of our valued members."

Biting back harsh words, Tessa swallowed grimly and continued in a quieter tone. "Please reconsider. At least, not yet."

Someone looped their arms around Tessa and gently tugged her away from the crowd of Nephilim. She realized how out of place she had appeared in all the half angel warriors. She wasn't even completely sure what her bloodline consisted of. Having previously wanted to kick whoever it was in the shin, she slumped in a defeated manner. Turning her head, Tessa was met face-to-face with Gabriel Lightwood, having just returned from the infirmary. All arrogance was lost from his eyes, leaving an unusual emotion of despair and anguish in his eyes.

"Tessa," Gabriel murmured, softly. The tenderness was something that she had never seen before. "They're going to bring Jem to the infirmary. He'll be there for a while, alright? Herondale will be in there too." A small smirk played on his lips.

"How's Will's condition?" She replied, quietly.

"He's in critical condition… though oddly, it is not due to severe injuries he has suffered. Nothing is life-threatening, however, his body has fallen into a comatose state due to… various possibilities." He sighed, gently holding Tessa's hands in his. "He will be alright. Since when has Will ever surrendered without a fight?"

"Thank you, Gabriel." Tessa gave his hands a tight squeeze before walking over to staircase and seating herself on a step. Her skirt billowed out below her like soft, wisps of smoke. Meanwhile, there was a pressure bearing down against her temple. The blood coursing through her veins were throbbing in her ears. All her mind could replay were the nightmares she had had for the past week.

"Tessa?" Charlotte waddled over, her swollen abdomen making it difficult to walk normally. Her heart-shaped face was tear-stained and a deep pink colour.

Feeling incredibly selfish, Tessa acknowledge that she was not the only one who had lost Jem and worried for Will today. However, what was she to say to Charlotte? How could she comfort others when Tessa couldn't even grip her own base of reality? Hanging her head low, she reached the conclusion that she was truly weak and pathetic. Jem and Will would have been beside themselves, worrying about others before grieving themselves. She was a disappointment.

Her body felt as if it had expended all its energy. Tessa's movements were lethargic as she blinked excessively, struggling to stay conscious.

"You haven't been sleeping well, Tessa." Charlotte noted, her eyes crinkling in worry for her. This made Tessa feel even worse. All this stress was not ideal for her as she carried her child. "Sleep, Tessa. Will and Jem will still be there in the morning."

There was a moment of silence.

"What do we do, Charlotte?" She whispered, holding back the flood of emotions that was sure to come.

The amount of grief in Charlotte's voice was for one who had lost their child. Essentially, that is exactly what Jem was to Charlotte and Henry. One of their sons. As was Will. These epiphanies made Tessa's heart feel as if a million icy daggers were pinpointed and ripping open the significant muscle beneath her rib cage.

"Mourn him." Tessa knew immediately that Charlotte was referring to Jem. "But make him proud. Do not forget the ultimate sacrifice he made." The pregnant woman blinked rapidly, trying to swallow back her tears. Wistfully, Tessa admired how even the ever-hormonal Charlotte could be stronger than Tessa herself. Another wave of self-loathing washed over her.

"And Will?" She faltered, her voice was hoarse and was laced with agony.

"We must be there for him." Charlotte tried to smile. "After all, he lost the other half of his soul."

**xx**

_ Humming silently to herself, Tessa silently crept towards the library. She had been anxious to continue where she had left off in the Great Expectations._

_ Pip was hopelessly spiralling and falling in love with the cold, apathetic Estella. It was all very tragic considering the circumstances they were in. Not to mention Miss Havisham's role as the woman who had moulded Estella into the frigid personality she had. Meanwhile, Estella believed she wasn't able to love Pip. The ultimate ice queen._

_ The parallelism played a strange chord in Tessa's heart. Her mind flickered to Will's previous behaviour as he had suddenly openly showed his emotions in loving those around him. When Will had announced his declaration of love for Tessa, only to be rejected, he had lost the genuine spark in his eyes. The mischievous glimmer lingered but was layered by painful emotions. And Tessa knew all it all too well that it was reflected back to him through her eyes as well. _

_ Once Jem and Tessa were no longer engaged, things had become strained between the trio. While Jem remained distant, but courteous, Will had been blatantly avoiding her. Not so much that it was noticeable by the others, but it was enough to caught Tessa to cringe with guilt._

_ Weary of her heavy thoughts, she distracted herself as her fingers brushed against the bindings of the novels, seated on their dust-sprinkled thrones. With a witchlight in the other hand, she searched for the Dickens' novel that had left her so enthralled. Her slender fingers halted at the hollow crevice where the Great Expectations should have been. Frowning, Tessa peered around to confirm that she had not merely misplaced the novel. With a huff a frustration, she narrowed her steely eyes at the absent book, as if she could magically retrieve it._

_ "Searching for Dickens?"_

_ Tessa flinched and spun around, only to see Will's tousled hair and lop-sided grin. In his right hand was the soft paperback of the Great Expectations._

_ "Did I frighten you?" Will's grin grew mockingly predatory as he stalked towards Tessa as if she were his prey._

_ "No," Tessa denied, grimacing at how unconvincing her voice sounded. "But perhaps alerting me of your presence before your speak would be helpful."_

_ "Alas, I have nothing to declare except my genius."_

_ "Hmm," She hummed contently, arching an eyebrow at him. "You have been brushing up on your Oscar Wilde quotes."_

_ "He was a delightfully intelligent, dashingly handsome man. Much like myself." Will replied, turning his charm on fully. Tessa would never admit that Will _was_ incredibly charming and it was her kryptonite._

_ "A man after your own heart." She mused, quietly. "Perhaps return Mr. Dickens to his rightful place?" Holding her hand out towards him, Tessa could not help but mirror Will's sudden eagerness to interact. She could not remember the last time they had conversed on light-hearted subjects._

_ "Afraid not." The infuriating William Herondale gently tossed the book in the air, before playfully catching it in his hand once again. "I believe I, myself, deserve some quality time with Dickens."_

_ Narrowing her stormy eyes, Tessa lunged for the novel that dangled temptingly from Will's fingers. Unfortunately, he stepped to the side, causing Tessa to stumble. Evidently, she had not learnt too much from their training. With the reflexes only a Shadowhunter could have, Will boldly wrapped his arm around Tessa's corseted waist, steadying the wobbling girl. A tinge of pink spread across the apples of her cheeks and she thanked the Angel that the witchlight provided barely any light. _

_ However, Will's burning gaze was curious, as if he could detect her deepening blush in the dimly-lit room. Pulling away, Tessa cleared her throat softly and composed herself, only to blurt out the first distraction that came to mind._

_ "The mission next month-"_

_ "I'm enthused and honoured to have the privilege of taking down the man who believes he can destroy our race." An ecstatic expression lit up his chiselled features. "Well, all I have to say to the man is that he can't. Not while the Enclave is still around."_

_ Tessa tried again. "I'm going-" _

_ "Jem would agree with me."_

_ "But-"_

_ "Already out of question."_

_ "You-"_

_ "Vetoed."_

_ The two glared at one another beneath the faint moonlight. Tessa was aggravated already by the conversation, yet the smug smile blossoming across Will's face sparked further annoyance._

_ "You cannot possibly think I will play absolutely no role at all." She reasoned, staring into his pools of midnight blue._

_ "Mortmain is dangerous." He spoke, briefly. The smile had regrettably dropped off his face as the conversation took a serious turn._

_ Tessa snorted in an unlady-like manner. "Yes, I realize this, Will. I _have_ met him once, you know. I know enough now how to manipulate my abilities to take care of myself."_

_ "Your abilities are for passive attacks. You may have acquired the basic offensive abilities of a Shadowhunter, but frankly, I don't believe they'll be enough to hold off even more than one automaton. Much less Mortmain." Will waved Tessa off, as if dismissing her retorts, before walking in the opposite direction._

_ "Passive?" She almost shrieked, indignantly. Nevertheless, Will had a legitimate response. Tessa's changing abilities were based off fooling others into believing she was someone that she was not. And physically, she knew she would not be able to gain victory over more than one automaton without the help of a Shadowhunter._

_ "Passive." Will replied without regret, turning towards her. "Honestly, what would you be able to do to Mortmain? With the exception of playing dress-up in someone else's skin? Not to mention he is already aware of your abilities. More aware than we would like." What confused Tessa the most was the fear, the uncertainty, and turmoil that lined Will's expressive eyes. It was as if he were internally debating with himself the argument they were currently battling._

_ "I do not need you belittling my capabilities." Tessa spate, regardless of the distress she had witnessed in his eyes. As always, Will's behaviour threw her into a tailspin._

_ "You know I'm right, Tess." She immediately felt herself soften at the nickname._

Damn their ambiguous friendship.

_ "Besides, you are what Mortmain wants the most. Are we just going to allow you to waltz into his clutches? We would prefer if you, Sophie, and my sister remain at the Institute to care after Charlotte." Will gave a small laugh. "Her anxiety is now heightened due to little Buford."_

_ She grinned at the name that Henry had given the baby, disregarding that there might be a possibility it was a female. Meanwhile, Charlotte was adamantly against the name, of course. The others in the Institute merely teased her about it, just to get a rouse out of the petite woman._

_ Feeling the fright drain from her body, Tessa yawned in fatigue._

_ "Why is Mortmain such a bastard?"_

_ At this, Will released a booming laugh that echoed through the library. Tessa immediately reached forward to clasp her hand over his mouth. His dark eyes widened in surprise but he otherwise continued to laugh. The sound was not silenced but was merely muffled to prevent his laughter from waking the entire Institute. Feeling the pure joy emanating from him, Tessa could not help but laugh as well at her choice of words._

_ "Foul words from thy mouth, Tessa." He winked once he wiped the joyful, stray tears from his eyes. An amused expression lingered on the contours of his face. "Besides, did you not know that the world is but a stage; however the play is badly cast? With the exception of everyone in the Institute. Though I am surely the most valued member of this intricately-woven play."_

_ "Oscar Wilde, again." The side of Tessa's lips twitched, entertained at Will's trademark conversational tangent. They grinned like fools for a few seconds more. It was becoming increasingly difficult to stay furious at him._

_ "You should get some rest." Will's face was much closer than she had thought. His cool breath faintly blew across her cheek as he spoke._

_ "I suppose you're right." Tessa replied, softly. "Goodnight, Will."_

_ "Sleep well, Tess." He whispered, giving her another intense, yet wistful expression before turning around and heading to his chambers._

_ Once she reached her room, Tessa scowled at her traitorous smile. Will was the master at distraction and charm. He had diverted her attention from the argument regarding the mission. Moreover, she also noticed that he had led her thoughts away from more of Pip and Estella's story, only to have taken the novel along with him as they parted ways._

Damn their ambiguous friendship.

**xx**

Impassive.

Unfeeling.

Nothingness.

She was falling.

Tessa stared blankly at the pale cot in the Institute infirmary. A coppery scent lingered hauntingly in the atmosphere, causing her to shudder. She was seated comfortably on a wooden stool, but her back ached from slouching against the cot. Her fingertips were numb as well. Leaning her cheek against the cold, metal bar that lined the infirmary bed, Tessa briefly closed her eyes, wondering how it had all come down to this.

"Would you like some tea, Tessa?"

Only her eyelids opened before she lifted her vision to Sophie. She had been pestering Tessa to get some rest; but as stubborn as ever, Tessa refused to leave Will's bedside.

"No, thank you Sophie." She whispered quietly. Though irritated, Tessa was grateful that Sophie was there to comfort her when she needed it. Internally, she could almost conjure up the image of Sophie struggling not to just drag Tessa upstairs and force her to sleep. She meant well, Sophie did. But Tessa could not find it in herself to care about where she was resting. Or hygiene, for that matter. She probably smelt ghastly, but her company usually only consisted of the unconscious William Herondale. So it really had not effect.

At last, Sophie's quiet footsteps skittered away and Tessa almost released a sigh of relief.

It had been two weeks since Jem's death. Tessa had sat silently by his beside, blindly waiting for Will and Jem to awake and exclaim how it all just a horribly planned out prank. No such thing occurred.

After the first night, Jem's body had been immediately sent to the Silent City. All the way, Tessa had held Jem in her arms until the other Shadowhunters proceeded to take him away and set his body alight in the confines of a special chamber.

_Pulvis et umbra sumus_, Tessa had thought bitterly.

The racking sobs that had surrounded her. Tessa's troubled pools of grey stared on, blankly as James Carstairs' body faded into the distance, surrounded by Silent Brothers and other Nephilim alike.

This was her goodbye.

Tessa had heard that they would use his ashes to build more arches and burial sites in the city. That many structures in the Silent City were, indeed, composed of past Shadowhunter ashes. She shuddered. Jem would be nothing more than a smudge in the Shadowhunter history records. Perhaps a larger smudge, due to his heroic death. But then again, many other Shadowhunters had been violently murdered that day as well. The day that Shadowhunter blood cried out as it spilled onto the stony, damp canvas of London. All of the Nephilim who fought courageously that day would be grouped together as one. Unnamed. No one would know the individual names of those who tragically fought Axel Mortmain and his army of automatons.

History had always been like this: cruel and unforgiving.

Jem's jade bracelet hung gently on Tessa's wrist as a painful remainder of who had been lost. Vengeful, Tessa wanted to kill the already-dead Mortmain. He had been the one to spark the chain of events leading to the present.

_May that bastard burn in hell_, she thought darkly. Her fingers tightly grasped the metal bars of the cot in the infirmary.

Sweeping her twilight-coloured eyes over the fallen angel on the cot, Tessa frowned at his face. It was devoid of colour; his breathing was composed of sharp inhalations and stuttered exhalations. Her small hands took his as she held back the waterfall that was surely waiting to burst down her cheeks. Only crying herself softly to sleep in the privy of the night, Tessa always held in her tears. No one had seen her collapse in grief over the pain of losing Jem and nearly losing Will.

In some ways, Tessa and Cecily were very much alike.

According to various doctors, Will had drifted into a coma. Which everyone had already suspected. While most coma patients were typically buried, Will was kept alive through supernatural means. Magnus would tirelessly work, using his abilities to ensure that Will's body continued to be nourished. Simultaneously, Magnus spent his time attempting to find the source of the coma, as his body was not in any dire condition.

_"It's nothing physical." His body has gone through some shocking adaptations, especially with the parabatai bond." Magnus wiped the sheen of sweat across his forehead as he spoke to the gathering of Enclave members and Institute inhabitants._

_ "Mental, is it?" Henry asked, his eyebrows furrowed._

_ "I have had centuries of experience with comas, being able to distinguish them from physical harm and psychological difficulties." His cat-like pupils flickered over to Will's unconscious form. "From what I have noticed, the source is not bodily harm as he is healing at perfectly at the rate Shadowhunters heal at. Luckily, I do know for a fact that this is psychological; however, there is something odd about it I have never encountered before."_

_ Serious, professional Magnus made Tessa feel uneasy. This dramatic change in personality always served as another painful reminder of the past two weeks. _

_Oddly, a cold feeling washed over her, sending shivers up her spine. Perhaps it was just an attribute of having some warlock blood, but Tessa could almost feel what Magnus had been elaborating on earlier. Will's body had an unnerving atmosphere surrounding it, similar to that of an aura._

"_Magnus, I believe I can feel what you are referring to." She said slowly, as if testing out the waters a bit before diving in._

_A smile filled with pride appeared on Magnus' face, to which Tessa's heart swelled at seeing the genuine grin on her friend's expression._

_After Cecily had arrived for the first time at the Institute, Tessa and Magnus would train in handling magic. While it frustrated her that she was unable to grasp all the concepts within the past seven months, Magnus had only reassured her that it was normal for someone who wasn't fully a warlock. _

"_And what can you make of it?" Magnus asked, curiously._

"_Something appears to be blocking his mind."_

"_Blocking?" Cecily inquired, speaking for the rest of non-warlocks in the room._

"_Despite being unnatural, infertile beings, warlocks do connect quite a bit with nature." His green cat eyes sparked with his witty nature that had been suppressed for quite a while. "I can detect the physical harm done to the body. Psychological issues can be detected as well." He met Tessa's gaze. "It appears that there is some kind of spell that I have never before seen. And even despite Tessa's limited demon blood, she can feel these changes, to some extent."_

_Realizing what Magnus meant, Tessa's eyebrows scrunched together. This was new._

"_You believe this was a spell causing this blockage?" An Enclave member asked. _

_Tessa pondered the possibilities and almost felt euphoric. There was hope that Will would wake._

"_Yes."_

"_And how would one remove this spell?" Charlotte held onto Will's hand even more tightly, while her other hand gently massaged her swollen abdomen._

"_You cannot destroy without determining the source." Magnus spoke, solemnly. _

"_To reverse a spell, you must first identify the initial spell." Tessa felt her heart sink at the revelation. She wouldn't be able to do it. Her abilities were not strong enough._

"_Precisely." Magnus grinned, though his vertical pupils were contemplative._

That had been four days ago.

Since then, Magnus had been the only one working on Will's body. While he had suggested she try as well, Tessa refused with the fear of making a mistake. He hadn't said much but told her that the offer was always open.

Hesitant, Tessa turned her gaze upon Will. His breathing remained shallow and laboured. She had promised her dream Jem that she would do everything in her power to save his _parabatai_. But what if she wasn't able to? It wasn't as if her nightmare was a subliminal message that Jem had sent to her in the moment of his distress. In all logical reasoning, Tessa should not have even felt obligated to the dream in the first place.

Regardless of any subliminal messages, Will and Jem were not people that Tessa would ever give up on.

Suddenly, someone cleared their throat.

Tessa peered up to see Magnus smirking and cracking his knuckles – his old personality reappearing momentarily.

"Is today any different from the past couple days?" He asked, his expression was open and full of trust. Scolding herself internally for not having accepted earlier, Tessa's lips curled into a real smile for the first time in two weeks. She truly liked Magnus.

"Perhaps."

Magnus' smirk widened.

**xx**

If only things were so simple.

Magnus and Tessa had worked over Will's comatose body without rest. They had found a few false leads, holding only what could possibly be a spell. Ultimately, the false leads turned out to be just that. False.

With the exception of one.

"Gluttony, greed, pride, sloth, lust… envy and wrath." Tessa muttered in aggravation, stressed at having only gotten those seven emotions for the past twelve hours. "That's all I can find. Surely there must be more!" She glanced down at Will, biting her lower lip. _I'm sorry I'm useless_, she apologized to him.

A ghost of a smile appeared on Magnus' lips. "The seven deadly sins." He murmured, thoughtfully. "Don't worry your pretty little head, Tessa. It is only the norm because you aren't fully a warlock."

"Am I fully anything?" She muttered under her breath. If Magnus had heard her, he ignored her pessimism and continued to speak.

"There are too many negative emotions surging through his mind." He continued, tapping a finger on his jaw contemplatively.

"But he'll become unstable if we do not help him immediately…" She trailed off.

"The optimism of your thoughts are astounding, Miss Gray." Magnus replied dryly, but had a grave expression on his face. "You are correct thought. It is the bitter truth. There isn't an opening in Will's mind to release the negativity. He is unable to distract himself and interact with others due to his current state."

"I just… I want to help him." Her voice was on the brink of helplessness and desperation.

The infirmary was silent for a couple seconds.

"Tessa, you've learned more than you've needed to today." Magnus replied sweetly, his dark hair gently tumbling into his distinct eyes. Something that always happened to Will. With the back of his hand, Magnus brushed the stray locks away and smiled at the young woman beside him. "You should have some rest. It can be overwhelming when you're not well acquainted with this type of exertion." The vivid white of his teeth glimmered in the darkly-lit room. "Besides, I'm immortal. I don't require as much sleep. You, on the other hand, are weaker."

Tessa gave a weary laugh. "Thank you so much, Magnus." She replied, satirically.

"Tessa?"

She turned back to the warlock who was grinning widely.

"You _are_ helping Will. And if anyone can bring Will back, it's you."

Tessa flushed at the compliment and smiled in return, before taking a detour to go to the library. She peered around for any others that could be in close proximity, but when she found none, Tessa reached for the Shadowhunter Codex. She knew that Magnus would have preferred that she slept, yet how could she with the rush of adrenaline tumbling through her body? They were so close to discovering how to help Will – Tessa could taste the answer on the tip of her tongue.

_Perhaps I'll discover all the answers I need in here_, Tessa thought as Church curled around her ankles, purring softly. It was foreign behaviour for the cat and she glanced down at him suspiciously. Reaching down to stroke his fur, the feline immediately leapt off the chair and darted back and forth between a bookshelf and her chair.

"What are you doing, Church?" Tessa set the Codex down onto a table and followed the cat. A leather-bound book caught her eye on the ground. It was nearly as thick as the Codex. Curiosity getting the better of her, she blew the dust off the cover, only to begin sneezing. Once she waved away the dust, Tessa noticed the bolded letters on the front.

Demons.

_Demons?_ Tessa's eyebrows shot up as she seated herself on the wooden floor. Church was purring loudly now, clearly pleased with Tessa's new discovery.

"Is this what you wanted me to see?"

Church mewled, satisfied, before curling up beside her.

_By the Angel, of course I'm conversing with a feline_. She rolled her eyes and began to flip through the encyclopedia to the Table of Contents. Demon Types. This sparked her interest and she skimmed through the various pages of demon names.

_Abbadon, demon of the abyss…  
Agramon, demon of fear…  
Asmodeus, demon of lust…  
Azazel, forger of the weapons of hell…  
Belial, demon of trickery…  
Cresil, demon of impurity…  
Lilith, mother of all demons; demoness of lust…  
Lucifer, prince of hell…  
Verin, demon of impatience…_

_Angel_, Tessa grimaced. The list carried on for pages. She quickly flipped through to see where it ended. At last, she was met with page 28. Twenty-eight pages of demon types and names. Each of which were then elaborated on in significant detail for the next 800 pages or so. Not to mention that it was now close to midnight.

Church had fallen asleep, not even acknowledging the disbelief radiating off Tessa.

_Blasted cat._

"Do you think you could have gotten a less-extensive book? You must know I love reading, but not when time is of the essence…" She spoke both teasingly and wearily, scolding the slumbering feline.

"Talking to animals now, I see? I'm glad I'm not the only one going mad."

Turning her head over her shoulder, Tessa saw Cecily walking towards her with a small smile on her face.

"Miss Herondale, I do believe it is past your bedtime."

"Oh, you are full of it, Miss Gray." Cecily placed her hands akimbo on her hips jokingly, before seating herself on the floor beside Tessa. The two of them had become quite close over the past few months. "Demons… I sense that this may have something to do with my unconscious brother?"

Tessa groaned and buried her face in her hands. Will's sister was younger by a couple years, yet was unnaturally instinctive and insightful. Typically, her ability to see things so clearly was beneficial, but when these situations occurred, they became… intrusive.

"I…" Tessa trailed off, wondering if there was any sane way to state that she was merely following the advice of a feline of questionable intelligence. Granted, he _was_ an intelligent cat. However, she suddenly wondered why she had even listened to Church in the first place.

"You're overthinking this. Do you believe a demon might be the cause of Will's ailment?" Cecily inquired, thoughtfully.

"I believe at this point, anything is possible. Who knows? Perhaps we'll find the answers in here that we've been searching for all along." Tessa spoke slowly, testing how the words felt on her tongue. Oddly, the words didn't bring an acrid taste or feel false.

"Then what exactly are you waiting for? Let's begin. If there was any hope for my brother, you would be the one to save him." Cecily gave Tessa a genuine smile before reaching for the book, pulling it between the two women.

Having been told that she would be the one to save Will twice in a couple hours sent thrilling shivers up Tessa's spine. She wanted to believe the two of them. She longed to believe that she had the ability to follow through with Jem (even if it was his dream doppelganger) and his promise. What would happen in the possibility that she _wasn't_ strong enough to save Will? Because in this case, failure was not an option.

Tessa vowed to save Will, even if it cost her her own life.

**xx**

"Agramon. Demon of fear."

The genuine brilliance of Magnus smile was contagious. Tessa soon found herself smiling at the newfound discovery.

Another meeting had been announced, gathering everyone around Will's cot in the Institute's infirmary.

"Of course. I've never had to deal with Agramon before, yet I have read many cases surrounding him. This one has become the most unique, in my opinion. Never before has he operated and locked a mind. Or so I have heard." He continued on, excitement quickly escalating in his tone.

"Will is possessed?" Gideon questioned, his chartreuse eyes were as wide as saucers. No one had ever heard of any possession like this.

"Actually, Agramon is not directly related to this. But it appears that Mortmain managed to contact the demon, binding some of its power to a spell that would lock Will's unconsciousness." He explained, frowning slightly. "Mortmain must have had access to some powerful warlocks. A simple call upon a demon is difficult, but not impossible for him. However, a binding and channelling spell requires powers that no mundane could ever achieve."

"Agramon is a greater demon; it would have taken an immense amount of power to call upon him and to be able to strike a deal with a greater demon… that's unthinkable for a mundane." Henry's face was genuinely surprised as he tried to reason his way through this. "Getting warlocks on his side-"

"Would be incredibly simple if they despised Nephilim." Gabriel Lightwood spoke up and Tessa glanced at him in surprise. "Mortmain was actually much more powerful than he appeared to be. And not only was he powerful, but influential. He must have had connections."

Understanding began to dawn on the rest of the audience members. This was all some twisted plot.

"So, this was Mortmain's plan all along?" Cecily gasped suddenly. Her temper flared as her eyes burned with the intensity that Will's eyes would sometimes. "To tamper with the minds of Shadowhunters? What better method of exterminating a race than destroying them from the inside out?"

"That's an interesting theory, Cecily." Consul Wayland spoke up, nodding. "But how does this pertain to Will?"

"It could be viewed as Mortmain's last gift to us." Magnus chuckled darkly. "He must have used Will as a guinea pig for this spell, with the initial hope that it would work and he could use it on the rest of the Shadowhunters. Fortunately, Mortmain isn't alive to see his achievement cause Will to become trapped in his own mind."

"So what exactly is occurring in his mind?" Leaning back in his chair, Consul Wayland narrowed his eyes in concentration.

"I will not know for certain; however, I do have an understanding that the spell manipulates the mind to become trapped in its worst fears. In the worst metaphorical demons that haunt the host body. Essentially, it's their own personal hell. Based on the seven deadly sins."

A deafening silence settled over the others like a heavy, woolly blanket. It was suffocating and caused Tessa to break the quietness.

"What can be done to reverse this spell?"

"If these theories are correct, this spell is casted differently from the others, as it affects the psychological aspects of a person." The cat-eyed warlock rubbed a hand tiredly across his; the semicircular shadows were distinctly visible underneath his emerald eyes. "William's mind is locked behind a metaphorical cage. To be of any use to him, we need to get past that cage." He yawned, before apologizing briefly – and though it did not sound too considerate – he continued as if nothing happened. "At this point, attempting to unlock his mind from the outside is futile. The only reasonable solution is to enter his subconscious."

"Is that even possible?" Henry asked, his eyebrows furrowed in captivation by the new information.

"I believe so. However, it would require someone that I would have to send into his mind." Magnus smirked widely, gesturing to Tessa. "She will have to take on the role."

"But I-I don't e-even have the full abilities of a warlock!" She stuttered, sure that perhaps Magnus was mistaken for once.

"No matter. It does not require that type of magic. Rather, you know Will on a deeper emotional level than most of us would like to admit. This gives you the advantage of being able to counteract the spell in his mind."

Without hesitation, Tessa nodded fervently in agreement. "Of course, I'll do it."

"Absolutely not." Charlotte retorted, anxiety lining her delicate features. "What are the risks that Tessa could encounter?"

"If she fails, her subconscious has a high possibility of Tessa becoming trapped within Will's subconscious realm." Magnus replied quietly, his enthusiasm having plummeted.

"Magnus-" Charlotte began before being discontinued by Tessa.

"The change of that risk occurring? It does not matter. And it isn't as if my hand were forced to enter his subconscious. I want will back, as do all of you." She debated, stubbornly.

"Tessa is correct," Magnus agreed. "As worried as I am for her, there is no one else that understands how Will operates as much as Tessa does. This is ideal for the puzzling maze of his mind."

"When are we able to do this?" Tessa asked, softly. She was determined to finish this as quickly as possible.

"We could accomplish this right now, if you wanted to." He cocked his head to the side.

"Now?"

"Would you prefer a later date?"

"Perhaps you should prepare yourself more…" Sophie whispered, pulling Tessa's arm back to stop her.

"There is no way to prepare me. We haven't the slightest clue what will happen." With a gentle smile, Tessa pulled away.

"Tessa." Consul Wayland spoke gently. "Be careful."

Charlotte's eyes were brimmed with tears as Henry's arms wrapped warmly around her.

"I will be alright, I promise." Tessa reassured, only feeling a little worried at entering the most sacred place. Will's mind.

"We cannot bear to lose you as well."

"You won't. All of you will ensure that my body and Will's do not desiccate."

"We cannot help but worry, Tessa." Henry took Tessa's slender fingers in his. "You are family. And we love you."

Tessa's chest aches with a familiar pang of anguish. She was leaving the safety haven of the love and support of friends, to enter an unknown dimension on a level of subconscious. Her throat went dry as her mind wandered to the slight possibility that she wouldn't return. Instead of voicing her thoughts, the right side of Tessa's lips curled up into a smile.

"I love you all, too."

"I will not dictate your decisions nor judge them. Accomplish what you must to bring Will back." Magnus patted her hand soothingly.

Thrown off by the perplexing advice, Tessa bit her bottom lip. However, she felt the reassuring quality in them.

"How exactly does this spell work? Will I simply be teleported into this dimension?"

"Well, your body will be sleeping as your conscious thoughts merge together temporarily with Will's. It will require an incredibly large amount of energy to push you past those borders. This is the reason only one person is able to enter." Magnus elaborated.

"So, I suppose I just fall asleep?" Tessa lied down on the cot beside Will's, adjusting her position to become comfortable.

"Frankly, it doesn't matter. I could induce you to sleep, but that would take unnecessary energy. As long as you are able to fall into some sort of slumber, I will have the ability to form the connection. And besides, you look as if you could use a good night's rest." He grinned. "Speaking of which, everyone should be off to their chambers now. Surely, Tessa will be unable to sleep with all the uncomfortable stares."

"I believe that is our cue to leave." Cecily laughed, before wrapping her arms around Tessa. The others soon followed suit. "Thank you for being so courageous."

"Be safe." Charlotte warned, trying to keep the nervousness off her expression. Henry nodded to his wife's words and they both kissed Tessa on the forehead.

"Come back soon to us, Tessa." Sophie smiled, gently embracing her. Even Gabriel and Gideon wrapped their arms around her, which made Tessa feel grateful that she was surrounded by so many lovely people.

Once they all left the room, Magnus snorted. "I thought they would never leave." Magnus teased. "I have some advice." He spoke wisely, centuries of experience evident in his green, beryl irises. "Whatever it may be that you encounter within, realize that what you witness reveal much of Will's darkest secrets and fears. They may not be direct, but they are projections of those fears. Also know that I cannot just pull you out – you must find your way out by unlocking his mind. You do understand the severity and gravity of this situation?"

She took a deep breath before closing her eyes and nodding. "And if I need help?"

"There is not a method of direct communication. Also, I can only interact with you a limited amount of times. Three to be exact. If we communicate, it will only be in crucial times." He pulled out a ring and handed it to her. It was silver, tiny, and delicate with a tiny emerald stone set in the middle. Easily overlooked. "To reach me, twist the ring three times. I'll always answer. It is to be used as a last resort. Otherwise, you are alone." This scared Tessa more than she let on; her expression revealed nothing. "Are you sure you're ready?"

Tessa almost hesitated, doubtful of herself once again. Though when she glanced up into his vividly green eyes, they shone with pride, reassurance, and confidence.

"Yes."

"Stay strong and remember the objective of this. Do not become distracted." Magnus paused, before taking Tessa's slight hands in his large ones. "You're a brave soul."

"Thank you, Magnus." Tessa murmured, already feeling the fatigue of the past couple weeks weigh upon her. It was a couple hours past midnight and she had been awake for the past 18 hours; twelve of them working vigorously. Finally, she mentally chastised herself. _Moping around did nothing._ She had accomplished and learnt an abundant amount in the past four days. Enough to have hope spring from the ground again like a new plant.

"Remember that nothing is actually physically happening to you. It is all in your mind… or Will's mind. But don't fret. We'll take good care of your physical body out here in reality." He replied with his typical charming self, winking playfully. "Good luck, Tessa."

Smiling, Tessa nodded. "Don't let my body die. Or I may have to come back as an angry ghost."

"Not funny." Magnus groaned, before his expression lit up. "I could count down for you until you fall asleep."

"That would be lovely, thank you." Her eyelids dropped before closing as she focused on sleeping.

"One Shadowhunter punching Mortmain… Two Shadowhunters throwing Mortmain… off a cliff… in Wales… Three-"

Her eyes flashed open. "Magnus!" She laughed heartily at his jesting words.

"I apologize." A lop-sided smile appeared upon his lips, implying that he really was not all that apologetic. "Sleep well, Tessa. I'll be right here. We will all be right here, eagerly awaiting your return along with Will's."

"You are a spectacular teacher and friend, did you know that?" Her eyelids fluttered closed once again as she drifted further into the land of dreams.

Had she opened her eyes as she spoke her last words to him, Tessa would have noticed Magnus' tender expression, one that he never displayed.

Persistent.

Determined.

Dauntless.

This time, she welcomed the fall.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I absolutely adore Magnus. Sadly, we won't see much of him from this point on.

Anyway, so I apologize for this chapter being boring. The next one is where all the action starts. I also apologize for not so much Will/Jem/etc interactions. This chapter was primarily Magnus-Tessa interaction for them to determine how to help Will. As much as it seems like a huge long chapter of basically nothing, I had to make it have some sort of logic. I couldn't just send Tessa into his subconscious without a reason... spontaneous subconscious travelling?

I just finished COLS. Oh my God. I was internally sobbing for Magnus and Alec. They are my favourite :) And Sebastian... don't even get me started. I have a fantastically long rant for that boy.

**Anyone else have any COLS rants?** I know I'm a bit late, but I'd love to hear your opinions on it. It was insanely good.

Also, reviews are nice as well :) It's nice to know people are reading. Hahaha.


	3. Gluttony

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Note: **I can't express how regretful I am at having not updated in a month. The past month was hectic. English was quite the loaded course, but damn, am I glad I finished it. Unfortunately, I didn't get the mark I hoped to obtain, but whatever. Essays aren't my forte. I just hope it won't affect my average when I apply to universities this fall... :(

Anyway, enough ranting about my life.

I present to thee, Gluttony.

* * *

**Chapter Songs:**

_Future Starts Slow - The Kills_

_The Funeral - Band of Heroes_

_We Don't Eat - James Vincent Morrow_

* * *

_"'Take some more tea,' the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.  
__'I've had nothing yet,' Alice replied in an offended tone. 'So I can't take more.'  
__'You mean you can't take less,' said the Hatter. "It's very easy to take more than nothing.'"_

_ - Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Caroll_

* * *

_**Previously…**_

_"You are a spectacular teacher and friend, did you know that?" Her eyelids fluttered closed once again as she drifted further into the land of dreams._

_Had she opened her eyes as she spoke her last words to him, Tessa would have noticed Magnus' tender expression, one that he never displayed._

_Persistent._

_Determined._

_Dauntless._

_This time, she welcomed the fall._

**CHAPTER 3: GLUTTONY**

Two men released boisterous laughter that echoed through the wide room. One of the men gently kissed the woman who was sitting provocatively in his arms, knees bent at a 45 degree angle on either sides of his lap. She appeared to be of Hispanic descent and was almost completely bared. Her large brown eyes blinked coquettishly, long eye lashes fluttering and beckoning. Strips of fabric hung delicately across her flesh, having been torn off by the man earlier. He moaned before trailing his lips across her jaw and down her neck.

"Heavenly." He whispered, revelling in the soft touch of her exotic skin.

"Mmmm," She released a wanton moan, pressing her hips into his.

"Patience, m'lady." The man smirked before sliding his tongue across the her neck, layered with a thin sheet of sweet. He could taste the saltiness of her perspiration and groaned at how close he was to her. He could feel the rush of blood through her veins with every calculated heartbeat. Panting, her chest heaved with every aroused breath she took.

"My God, you are a tease." The other man mocked from across the room.

"Coming from you, that is rather ironic. Considering you have yet to penetrate her."

"You can go to hell." The other man growled, his male pride hurt.

"I'll see you there, Lightwood." He laughed before releasing a breathy sigh as his hands roamed her breasts, brushing fingertips over the rounded flesh.

"Whatever you say, darlin'." The other man drawled, grinning widely before pulling another woman onto his lap. "And I'll show you penetrate."

Flashing his teeth to her pale neck instantaneously, he pierced into the soft muscle there, feeling the blood overwhelm his senses with pure ecstasy. The woman in his clutches released a tiny sigh of relief, shuddering and wilting into his arms like a person addicted to the endorphin-filled bites. The mannerisms of a heroin junkie.

Having his fill from her, the man named Lightwood withdrew his teeth, licking the blood that had spilt over the side of her olive pale. The woman shivered and urged him to bite her again to which he merely smiled reluctantly before glancing away.

"You've always been a messy eater." The man holding the Hispanic woman smirked. Reaching the back of the woman's corset, he lavishly pulled out a tiny embroidered handkerchief with pale daisies swirling around one corner. "You don't mind if we borrow this, m'lady?"

"Not at all," The Hispanic woman's large chocolate eyes suggested that there was an innuendo underlying her seemingly-innocent words.

Smirking in triumph, the man whipped the daisy-covered handkerchief at the other man. The fabric ended up slapping him on the forehead.

"Bite me." Lightwood retorted.

"Gladly."

**xx**

"Are you alright, miss?"

Tessa struggled to open to her eyes as a voice inquired in her ear. Once her eyelids fluttered open, she saw the light of the moon. It was partially obscured by the haze of grey clouds, but brilliant twinkling of stars in the sky were still visible. Gazing at her surroundings, Tessa realized with almost a naive euphoria that she was in a forest. Magnus' spell had been successful. Instantaneously remembering what was happening, she turned her vision onto a young woman.

"Cecily?" Tessa asked, incredulous.

Cecily flinched, her violet eyes narrowing ever so slightly, creating an endearingly suspicious expression.

"How do you know my name?" She interrogated in a threatening manner. It was amusing, Tessa smiled internally, that Cecily still had not lost the trait of looking like a porcelain doll. Even her menacing manner did not instigate trepidation. Tessa was also relieved that there would be familiar faces in Will's mind.

_On the other hand, she doesn't know who _I_ am_, Tessa blinked groggily before a realization dawned upon her. _Of course she doesn't. All of this is in Will's mind._ She bit her lower lip, saddened by what she hoped that Will's mind would recognize her. Grumbling internally, Tessa sighed, frustrate that Magnus omitted this detail.

"I apologize," Tessa quickly tried to save face. Apparently, her identity would shift things around if she alerted them who she really was. An intruder in the most private of places a person can have. "I knew another woman by your name who looked quite similar to you."

Under a couple moments of Cecily's scrutiny, she finally appeared to be pacified, before giving Tessa a grim smile.

"Where are you from?" Cecily asked, tossing her dark curls over her shoulder. Tessa noticed that there were slight alterations to her appearance. Her skin had a luminous glow beneath the moonlight, lending her the ethereal quality that Jem had had. Though Cecily has always been beautiful, she could only be described as angelic in her current state.

"I... I cannot remember." Tessa spoke, wincing as she did due to the fact that she could do better.

"Are you alone?" Will's sister persisted.

"I believe so. I think I was travelling..." somewhere, Tessa finished in her mind. The two women were in the middle of a moonlit forest. The lack of landmarks made Tessa question just where she had landed. Would Will's mind create entirely new areas, or would they be based off realistic places? Or would it matter? The thought of appearing in London would result in nostalgia and distractions. It would feel all too real and throw off her sense of reality.

"Well then, I believe we were likely to be expecting you." Cecily grinned, though the smile was tight-lipped and appeared as if she were grimacing. "My brother would never deny anyone in need; he had always taught me to graciously invite those who are lost to our lovely home..." She glanced over at Tessa, prompting her to hand over her name.

Would it be safe to reveal her name? Or would everything go to chaos?

"Tessa." She replied curtly, praying the apocalypse didn't happen in Will's mind.

"Alright, miss Tessa. Please follow me."

After walking through a startling amount of trees, Tessa saw a dim glow in the distance. She tried to stop the anticipation that washed over her at seeing Will. Alive. Breathing. Healthy.

"We're almost reaching the mansion. Mr. Lightwood will be meeting us at the front entrance." She replied, a tone of sadness underlying her brief words. Tessa mentally wondered why that was.

"I look forward to meeting them. I would also like to thank you for giving me a place to stay." Tessa whispered cordially.

Cecily immediately stiffened and from behind, Tessa could not see the expression on her face. The younger woman took a deep breath and continued walking, murmuring something about... humanity? For the first time since she woke up, Tessa felt the slightest emotion of worry.

Gluttony was the first emotion. The first sin she would encounter, as it was the first sin she had located, storming in Will's mind. On the other hand, it was not Will that Tessa was afraid of, but moreso of the unknown. What else would she encounter in this world of Will's subconscious? Biting her lower lip, Tessa tried to suppress her anxiety by restraining her fingers from tapping against her other hand.

Once they exited the forest, a magnificent mansion came into view. A winding pathway trailed down the road, beautiful stones laid down. The entirely road was illuminated by lanterns. As if it were not enough, elegant decor surrounded the front steps of the mansion. It was as if Tessa had stepped into grinning like a fool, Tessa couldn't help but admire the intricate designs on the lanterns. Will certainly had a creative imagination.

Suddenly, a question appeared in Tessa's mind.

"Miss Cecily, what year is it?"

The younger Herondale peered at Tessa incredulously; the expression rudely questioned her mental state.

"What kind of question is that?" Cecily inquired, her face scrutinizing. For a moment, Tessa believed that she had done something wrong for a second. But then, Cecily spoke again. "It's 1905, of course."

1905.

_This was twenty-seven years in the future. How intriguing._

The two women reached the front door before Cecily took the handle in her hand and knocked thrice. A nervous sensation began bubbling in the pit of Tessa's stomach.

"Hello again, Miss Cecily."

Tessa blinked rapidly, feeling uneasy. The man before her was Gabriel Lightwood. He gazed at Tessa curiously before ushering them both inside the large doors before the doors swung shut.

"I see you have brought a wonderful young lady to the Herondale manor." Gabriel grinned, another tight-lipped one. Though Gabriel didn't appear as if he were grimacing as Cecily had. It was almost as if he were restraining amusement and laughter.

"This is Miss Tessa." Cecily introduced, before quickly shying away. "Gabriel will bring you to your quarters." Then, she walked away briskly. Tessa noticed her gait was somehow more elegant, more refined than in reality.

"Are you lost, my darling?"

Stunned momentarily by Gabriel's term of endearment, Tessa quickly composed herself and nodded.

"Those are the best kinds." He replied, wiping the heels of his palms on a white apron. Tessa's eyes widened as she watched dark red smears make their way across te apron. A strong coppery scent suddenly flooded the air. Her eyes quickly darted between Gabriel and the door, planning to somehow escape.

"Don't leave yet, Miss Tessa. We still have yet to eat dinner." Another grin spread across his face. This time, Tessa saw his teeth. She swallowed nervously. She then noticed two elongated canines quickly unsheathing and extending from his gums.

Vampire.

This was wrong. It was all wrong. Her breathing increased as she tried to turn and run. But before she could even take a step forward, Tessa felt something violently hit the side of her head before she fell into darkness.

**xx**

"Ugh," Tessa moaned, feeling herself resurface to consciousness. Her clammy fingers pressed against a significant bump on her head. She released another groan. With a pounding migraine, Tessa could not help but feel cheated into thinking this would be easy_. God, Magnus... I would blame you, but you had no idea that Will's mind was this violent._

"Ah, sleeping beauty arises."

Tessa immediately stiffened. She would be able to recognize that voice from anywhere.

Warily, she slowly lifted her eyelids, only to gaze into the most beautiful azure eyes she had ever seen. He was watching her with a smirk, eyes twinkling with mirth. It felt like ages ago that Tessa had seen this expression and her heart swelled with relief. Cocking her head to the side, she held his gaze. After a few silent moments, Will's smirk broadened and he took a step back from her.

Blinking rapidly, Tessa frowned as she realized she was on a leather couch. Also, there was a kink in her neck. Reaching up, her fingers came in contact with something sticky. The area felt tender as her curious fingers pressed more deeply against the side of her neck. She winced, remembering that she had been rendered unconscious by a vampire.

"What happened?" Tessa inquired, pretending to be ignorant of a world where vampires, werewolves, and other supposedly mythical creatures existed.

"The not-so-intelligent Gabriel Lightwood knocked you out when I specifically asked for a conscious walking blood bank. Honestly, is it impossible for him to obey even the slightest orders? I just wanted a pleasurable night with a beautiful young woman, to satisfy my thirst and my body. But of course he chose you last night. And only to fulfill his thirst! What a waste! But do not fret though, sweetheart. I will make you feel pleasure that surmounts anything you have felt in your measly human life." Tessa bristled at the comment, stifling her retort that she had about as much mundane blood as he did. "We still have tonight, as you have slept through the morning and afternoon. The sun is actually just beginning to disappear over the horizon. I love this time of day. Is dusk not the loveliest time of the day? It makes you look mouth-watering." Will ranted as Tessa gazed at him, her mouth agape.

The light shimmered off two elongated canines barely visible behind Will's lips.

He was a vampire.

Retracting his fangs back into his gums, Will smiled pleasantly; glad he was able to gain the reaction he had wanted initially.

"I..." She was in shock. It had never occurred to her that Will was a vampire. And that he had allowed Gabriel to drink from her. What about Cee-Cee? Was she a vampire too? A sudden wash of vertigo floated over her body, her vision blurring into a myriad of neon colours. Everything was suddenly so surreal.

"Speechless, I see. I tend to have that effect on others." Another smug smile played on his lips as he leaned down towards Tessa once again. "Tell me your name, sweet one."

Swallowing back her fear, she challenged him with her eyes. "Tessa."

"Hmmm," Will hummed pleasantly. "Tessa." The way in which his tongue caressed her name reminded of her when he had first said her name, in place of 'Miss Gray.' Tessa involuntarily shivered and tried to back up into the couch.

"Please don't, Will..." Her voice was almost inaudible.

Suddenly, the predatory stare in Will's eyes was gone, replaced by an odd confusion. "Who told you my name?"

"Your sister." She spoke right away, lying through her teeth. _Angel, I have already ruined things._ _Watch your mouth, Tessa_, she scolded herself for being so careless.

Will hummed again, but this time, he was so close that she could feel the vibrations rumbling through his chest. Tessa suddenly felt the improper feelings of wanting to bury her face in Will's neck and cling to his body like a lifesaver.

"Quite an interesting predicament, sweetheart. Funny that those who work for me never reveal my name."

_Caught red-handed._ She thought, miserably.

"Are you going to say anything, Tess?"

Of course, Will is unaware of the use of her nickname. Even somewhere in the dark recesses of his subconscious, Will could still charm Tessa to a metaphorical death.

"Have you drunk from me?"

Once again, Will appeared momentarily stunned. "You are not going to ask whether I will let you go? Or whether or not I will kill you?"

Tessa stared back at him unflinchingly. "Well, _are_ you going to kill me?"

Will paused, mulling over how to react to this odd young woman.

"Not yet. I have still to ravish your body. And according to Gabriel, your blood is exquisite. Incomparable to the finest wine in the world, he says. Unrivalled. As it has the richest flavour he has ever had the pleasure of tasting." Will closed his eyes and his tongue trail across his lips. Tessa watched in fascination at how real he was in front of her. Maybe a little pallid than before. She studied the blue-green of barely visible veins beneath his skin. Silent. Still. No blood surging through to make him flush, whether from humiliation or exertion. At the last thought, Tessa flushed, gulping nervously.

A smirk widened on Will's face as he misinterpreted her reddening cheeks for how Gabriel had described her blood. Inhaling deeply, Will memorized her scent; he had to restrain his canines from extending out his gums at Tessa's aroma. "The way he spoke of you... it was absolutely... refreshing." His voice immediately dropped into a husky tone.

Her throat went dry. Swallowing, she willed herself to say something, _anything_, back. However, Will's immediately eyes flashed open.

"Gabriel, have you not had your fill last night?" Will arched an eyebrow but there was almost a possessive glint in his midnight eyes.

"William, she is beautiful. And mine. I want her." Gabriel strode into the room, his gait cocky and arrogant. "We agreed you could have the rest of the ladies today if I could keep her."

"I agreed to nothing, Gabe." Will's smirked.

"Do not try to mislead me, Herondale." Gabriel's eyes darkened with anger. "You know that last night, we had an understanding." Tessa could almost feel the testosterone emanating in waves off the two men.

"Yes, that you could taste her last night. Otherwise, she's mine."

"She's mine."

"Neither of you own me." Tessa growled, shrugging off the couch and into a defensive position. "I am _not_ a possession or a shiny new toy that you can keep."

A perplexed expression appeared on Gabriel's face. "You-" He was cut off by Will, who had thrown his head back in laughter.

"You are a feisty one, sweetheart. I am going to have an incredible time with you tonight..."

Tessa felt appalled at the revolting words exiting Will's lips. As much of a nuisance as Will could be in reality, he always remained considerate and a gentleman towards women. Nausea crept up her throat.

"Fine. You can have her, Will. I prefer that mine are submissive." Gabriel replied lazily, before walking past the two of them. Her eyes watched him in horror as Gabriel bent down, plucked an unconscious woman off the floor and sank his teeth into her neck. From a distance, it would almost appear as if Gabriel were kissing her neck. Dizziness swept through Tessa's body as she watched Will do the same, piercing the neck of another. Angry that she hadn't noticed the different women scattered across the living room, Tessa narrowed her eyes at the two men.

"Stop!" She shouted.

While Gabriel merely ignored her, Will's gaze met Tessa's before he withdrew his teeth and languidly brushed his tongue against the woman's neck. Will tossed her onto the ground like a ragdoll and then purposely picked another woman. He bit into her neck, moaning appreciatively all the while.

Against her better judgment, Tessa impulsively ran towards Will and shoved him as hard as she could. Surprised, he stumbled back off the woman and fell onto the ground. Fear crept through her veins as she noticed the fury flitting across Will's expression. With lips curled back and teeth bared, Will leapt forwards and Tessa suddenly found herself pressed against a wall. A soft, cool tongue trailed across her neck and she quivered from both fear and the passionate feeling she had always had near him.

Will smiled against her skin, knowing full well that he had the advantage. She was writhing and struggling beneath his fingertips like a kitten that blindly believed she was ferocious. He wanted to sink his teeth into her flesh and sink himself into her warm, supple body at the same time. It was the ultimate indulgence. He was physically aching at the thought of not being able to do that.

"Please, Tess... I want your cooperation." Will's cool breath met her ear.

"No," she hissed.

"Tess-"

"No!" Tessa shouted. Closing her eyes and praying that the real Will would forgive her, she swung her knee upwards between his legs. Immediately, Will groaned and fell to the ground.

"You... you bitch." He croaked, grimacing and trying to appear threatening at the same time.

"She's a wild one, isn't she?" Gabriel laughed from across the room. "Haven't met such a beautiful one that is also physically capable of taking down her opponents yet." Turning to the frozen girl standing almost triumphantly above Will's groaning body, Gabriel's eyes shone, entertained by the scene before him. "I'll let you go this time, Miss Tessa. I think we'll keep you around!" Gabriel shouted good-naturedly as Tessa harrumphed and stomped away.

Will struggled to stand as he lifted himself up and leaned against the wall.

"She really is something." Gabriel whistled.

Will winced, watching Tessa's form with an odd expression as she disappeared around the corner.

**xx**

_Who did he think he was?_ Tessa fumed, stomping away into the garden. He was the most obnoxious, infuriating-

Then, Tessa almost bowled over in a ridiculous amount of laughter. It was exactly the manner in which Will had first behaved when they met. With the exception of the vampirism and the sudden boldly, sexual, and forward attempts. His mannerism was arrogant and aloof. He enjoyed spouting off rants that were simultaneously pertaining to and disregarding Tessa. Not a feat that she had encountered in many people. And secretly, Tessa thought the attribute to be quite entertaining. Of course, she would never reveal that to Will.

He would have quite the inflated ego.

Sighing, she pushed open the back doors, only to be met with extravagant gardens. Her eyes widened at the scenery - the magnificence of the gardens were only featured in fairy tales, or so Tessa believed.

The lush, shimmering grass rippled as a gentle breeze swept through each blade. There were acres of orchards - fruit of every kind blossoming amidst soft leaves. She frowned suddenly, inquiring in her mind why on Earth vampires could possibly want fruit. Shaking her thoughts, she noticed large hedges occupying the space beside the orchards, tall enough to tower over any person. From Tessa's view on the richly-designed balcony, she saw that each hedge was shaped together into an elaborate labyrinth of twists and turns. The moonlight played through the entire scene with a pale luminance that gave the gardens a glowing appearance.

The landscape took her breath away.

"Gorgeous, is it not?"

Startled, Tessa spun around to see Cecily watching her carefully. She almost appeared nervous, approaching Tessa as if she were a wounded animal.

"I'm sorry. I really do apologize about earlier. We need to feed somehow." She glanced down at her hands as if she were ashamed.

In Tessa's thoughts, she made parallels between Cecily's devastated, guilty expression as the milder version of Lady Macbeth. Cecily's expression told Tessa that the younger woman felt as if she could not wash the innocent blood off her hands. Not even oceans of water could cleanse her from her sinful nature.

"So you pick off innocent passersby from the woods?" Tessa's tongue was sharper than she had intended.

"No one is innocent." The fury on Cecily face was surprising before she composed herself and readopted the troubled expression that Tessa had rarely seen in reality. "I have not been innocent in the longest time."

"How old are you, Cecily?"

"I'm forever frozen at my fifteenth year."

"I'm almost seventeen."

She appeared surprised. "I thought you were at least eighteen."

"How very flattering, but not quite." Tessa spoke satirically, though it came out wearier than anything. "I do not mean to offend, but is there a particular reason you are out here?"

"I came to apologize."

"Apologies mean nothing unless they are followed up by action." Tessa stated, matter-of-factly. It was something that her aunt had always said to her as a young child.

"Alas, my hands are tied. But I can try to make this more bearable." Cecily offered Tessa a shy smile, her fangs having been sheathed beneath her gums. "Would you like any beverages or meals? You are also welcome to explore the mansion and gardens."

"So I'm essentially a prisoner here." She replied, deadpanned.

The younger woman's face fell as she realized the predicament and resentment that Tessa felt. "You will have to take that up with my brother."

"Are you his slave then? Do you bend towards his will as he would like? Do you ever question what it would feel like to be stripped away and kidnapped, gaining the trust of a traveller, only to betray it?" Tessa laughed, bitterly. "All those woman are here because your brother and his friend want 'playthings.' Well, I refuse to stay here without a fight." Her steely blue-grey eyes narrowed and she backed away into a defensive position.

"You think I haven't questioned the right and wrong? Good and bad? The moral scale that separates you and me? I kidnap people like you so I can stay alive. I refuse to do it often but it does happen. Purely survival instinct." Cecily snarled, baring her teeth like a defensive kitten, hissing at an enemy.

_Gluttony._ Tessa remembered. _Gluttony is what I'm trying to resolve here._ The over-indulgence in food or drink. But in this case, it was blood.

"Well, sure I understand your need to survive. But frankly, you could do it without keeping the women here. Also, I know for a fact that there is the option of animal blood available to you." Releasing a long breath of air, Tessa leaned against the railing on the balcony. The blood loss from earlier was increasing her fatigue.

"How do you even have this much knowledge about vampires? You don't even seem surprised." Cecily spoke in an accusatory tone, pointing her slender finger at Tessa.

"Legends." She dismissed in return with the wave of a hand. "Guess there's some truth to them."

Frowning, Cecily stalked closer until she was in close proximity to Tessa. "I don't think so. You know more about our kind than you let on. I can see it in your eyes." Her eyes narrowed into menacing slits. "Who are you?"

_Blasted Cecily and her ever inquisitive mind._ Even in Will's subconscious, she is too insightful for her own good.

Hardened violet eyes held her gaze, searching for the answers in the stormy orbs. Tessa made no expression and held back everything. The two women were caught in a staring match, one trying to overwhelm the other. But Tessa noticed that the tactics Cecily used in here were quite similar to reality. It also helped that she was as frightening as a rock.

"Now what do we have here?"

In one moment, Cecily was in front of Tessa. The next, she had pressed her brother against the wall, who had chuckled good-naturedly and thrown his hands up in the universal sign of surrender. Emitting a noise of irritation, Cecily released her brother, took one more curious glance at Tessa, before stalking away.

"She was always such a child. And it does not help that she is immortal." Will rolled his eyes before settling them on Tessa. "Now where were we before?"

"I am _not_ going to be your walking human feeding machine."

Will gave an amused laugh and grinned widely. "I really do want to keep you. You are so much more interesting than the others."

"Why do you keep them around?" Tessa turned away, staring at the moonlit gardens.

"Food. Convenience. _La petit mort_. Or should I say, _les petit mortes_." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at Tessa, who made no expression. Will was taken aback at how unaffected this woman was to his advances. Nearly all of the time, Will had the ability to seduce a woman with saying just a word. Sometimes, he didn't even need to put in that much effort. But this woman was infuriatingly difficult.

"All those women, Will. All those people have homes, friends, families somewhere. Hopes, dreams, futures that you have stripped away from them." Tessa replied, softly.

"Not anymore." He replied, impassively. "Their dreams lie in pleasuring us."

"That is repulsive. And deep down inside of you, you know this is wrong." She countered fury ablaze in her blue-grey eyes.

"You say that like you know me." Will turned his hardened gaze on the woman beside him, glaring into her twilight-coloured eyes. "And you don't."

Those words rang throughout Tessa's mind, reminding her that this Will did not know her.

"I know enough that somewhere in there," Tessa had the audacity to poke her pointer finger into his chest. "Is someone incredibly selfless and caring. Someone who was misled by false promises of happiness."

"And what do you know of happiness?" Will shouted angrily, before pinning Tessa to the floor of the balcony. "I relish in the taste of blood and I am constantly surrounded by pleasurable times." His face was startlingly close to Tessa's, merely a hair's breadth away. His cool breath blew across her face, sending nervous tingles throughout her body.

"In no way is that happiness." Tessa narrowed her eyes. "That is merely giving into selfish desires, _hoping_ for happiness but not truly achieving it."

"So tell me, Miss Gray, how do I achieve happiness?" Will cocked his head to the side, challenging her. His dark hair was falling into his face and was long enough to tickle her forehead due to his face being incredibly close to hers.

Tessa was shocked. "How do you know my last name?" For she had never once told a soul here.

A brief look of confusion and innocence fluttered across his expression. This must mean progress. Shouldn't it? Tessa held onto to that fabric of hope. Impulsively, Tessa caressed Will's face in her hands and gently brought her lips to his.

He stiffened above her, not responding to her lips. Despite the lack of movement between their mouths, Tessa was unable to explain the thrilling shockwaves that rippled through her body. It was the passion that had always been there, underlying the surface of their friendship in reality. Though the two barely ever acknowledged it. Briefly, Tessa reminisced of how their last kiss in reality had been drunkenly performed on the balcony at a gala half a year ago.

Abruptly, Will pulled away after a couple seconds of refusing to respond to Tessa's advances.

"I thank you for your time, sweetheart." Will spoke a little too formally, before standing up and brushing his clothes off. "But we have no use for you anymore. You may leave the manor. Have a fantastic life with your hopes, dreams, and happiness." He sneered, throwing Tessa's words back at her. He then disappeared quickly before Tessa could even blink.

She sat up, stunned at the course of events that had just occurred. This had gone wrong. Will was supposed to realize that drinking blood excessively was not the source of happiness, but rather a diversion. However, it hadn't been successful. Not to mention that Tessa allowed her feelings to get the better of her, giving into the temptation of kissing Will. She had ruined everything.

Magnus had been wrong. She wasn't the one to bring him back. She wasn't strong enough.

A single tear slipped down her cheek as she thought of Will never waking up and laughing alongside her once again.

Now she would never awake as well.

**xx**

Another day had passed and Tessa still had not left. Surprisingly, Gabriel, of all people, had lent her a hand in fighting off Will's protests. He opened a guest room for her to stay as long as she would like.

When Tessa wasn't in her room, she spent her day admiring the natural beauty of the scenery. And avoiding Will as much as possible. She desperately wished she had some books but knew she should count her blessings. At least she wasn't hungry due to the orchards. Gabriel allowed her free access to the gardens. Brushing off her skirt, she moved to stand up before she saw none other than Gabriel Lightwood before her.

"You have really done a number on Will, haven't you?" He spoke gently, reaching down to lift me to my feet.

"Why are you so kind to me?" Tessa blurted out, unable to kept her suspicions beneath the surface.

He released a kind laugh and gestured her to follow him. She stood up and walked with him down a flight of stairs that had connected to the balcony. Smiling, Gabriel seated himself on a bench and patted the seat beside him for Tessa to sit. She complied, still warily regarding him.

"You ask why I am kind to you. Inexplicably, you remind me of an incredible young woman that I am in love with."

Tessa glanced at him, shocked at his confession.

"She is unattainable," Gabriel continued with a wistful look of pure adoration. "I over-indulge in those women to keep up appearances for Will. And to divert my attention from her. I need distractions or I will surely go mad."

Finding her voice, Tessa stared at Gabriel with new eyes. "Unattainable, how?"

"Unattainable… as in Will's baby sister."

_By the Angel, Gabriel Lightwood was in love with Cecily Herondale._

"Oh."

Gabriel snorted. "'Oh' is right." He leaned his face gingerly into his hands, his legs carefully supporting his elbows. "Despite their lack of communication, they love one another dearly."

"He would have your head if he ever found out what you were thinking about his sister," Tessa spoke knowingly, laughing slightly at Will's protective streak.

"Will would have _more_ than my head if he ever discovered what goes on in my head." Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows and chuckled, leaning back and stretching his arms over his head.

Tessa gaped at his blatant innuendo.

"Oh, I apologize. It's been a good century since Will and I have been gentlemen. Forgive me, m'lady." He winked cheekily, before standing up and lifting Tessa up into his arms.

"What are you doing?" She tried to shy away but Gabriel began twirling her around.

"Teach me how to be a gentleman again, beautiful Tessa. For, I yearn to win the fair Cecily's heart." Gabriel waltzed with her, surprisingly skilled at dancing. Tessa threw her head back and laugh good-naturedly.

"You really are something, Gabriel."

"Funny. I vaguely remember saying those exact words to another odd lady friend of mine." He teased, spinning Tessa gracefully once more before dipping her. "Guess I haven't lost my touch."

"I should alert you," Tessa said, slightly out of breath. "That you should work on learning to ask a woman to dance, instead of immediately assuming they want to dance with you."

"Touché, m'lady." He lifted her back upright and stepped back, bowing formally. To this action, Tessa curtsied in one fluid motion, her limbs a graceful extension of herself.

"Thank you for the dance, Mr. Lightwood." Tessa grinned, her cheeks a little red from embarrassment at the situation. Never before had she thought she would ever dance with Gabriel Lightwood.

"The pleasure is mine, Miss Tessa." He smiled. "My deed is done. I have brought forth a stunning smile onto the face of a damsel in distress. Perhaps there's a sliver of hope for me yet." Gabriel kicked a couple stones on the path before jovially making his way up the stairs.

Shaking her head, Tessa turned towards the orchards, hoping to find delectable fruit.

"Feel free to come inside every now and then. I'll ensure that Will is locked in his cage with his claws trimmed," Gabriel called, snickering and gesturing to the broad landscape stretching across their property. "Oh, and Tessa?"

"Yes?"

"Do consider staying a little longer. You have an amusing effect on Will..." Gabriel laughed, thinking of Will's off behaviour since this fiery woman had woken up on their ouch. "Not to mention, your company really isn't the worst."

"I'll stay on one condition." She bargained, automatically reaching up to feel the healing wound on her neck.

He dramatically sighed and widened his eyes at her to create what could only be described as a 'puppy' face. "I suppose you don't wish to be our meals anymore."

"Once was enough, thank you." Rolling her steely pools of blue-grey, Tessa patted her neck gingerly. She shot Gabriel a pointed look.

"Yes, yes. As long as you continue to be insistent, stubborn, and aggravating to raise hell in Will's life." Gabriel agreed, cocking an eyebrow. He couldn't place his finger on it, but Tessa reminded him of someone. Somewhere. A past life perhaps? Concealing his childish pout, Gabriel continued to mull over the familiarity of the brilliant young lady as he entered the building.

Meanwhile, Tessa stared after him, smiling wistfully at Gabriel as he made his way up the stairs. Vaguely, she wondered if somewhere in reality, this was Gabriel's true identity. Somewhere deep inside him, he was a charismatic, congenial man. Misunderstood, perhaps? But weren't we all?

Tessa spent another day without seeing even a glimpse of the Herondale siblings.

**xx**

Blinking rapidly, Tessa awoke with a gasp. She felt as she was suffocating, something crushing chest cavity as she dreamt of odd colours and shapes. This was the first time in a while that Tessa had dreamt of something that had no reason or rhyme. It was disconcerting.

"Finally."

She turned her head to see Will leaning stoically against the wall. The oil lamps were lit and for the first time, Tessa took a moment to notice the differences before vampiric Will and Shadowhunter Will. His already alabaster skin had become translucent and unnaturally smooth. The deep blue of his eyes were simultaneously the same tone, yet somehow a different hue. Will was still Will. Just with additional features and even more of an attitude than he had to begin with.

Knitting her eyebrows together, she finally noticed that she was no longer in the orchard, in which she had fallen asleep by an apple tree. Now, she appeared to be in a room that was actually quite plain. A couple worn novels leaned against the wall, long with stacks of paper and pens. Squinting, Tessa recognized a thick leather-bound book named _Vathek_. The panic settled in her veins as a smile played on her red lips.

"What were you even thinking? Falling asleep outside in the cool night. Someone could have attacked you, mauled you, and even dismembered you! Not to mention that the immune system of you humans is actually quite pathetic. You would have caught pneumonia or tuberculosis in no time flat. Then what would we have on our hands? Far too much. And do not even get me started on the insects and wildlife that could have been a hazard..." He babbled on, making wild, passionate gestures. If they had been in the Institute, Tessa would have been amused by his nervous ramblings. It was difficult to distinguish his impossible tangents from being a dead-giveaway for when he was anxious, or whether they occurred on purpose. Will just enjoyed irritating everyone. Regardless, Tessa found them endearing. Unfortunately, the nervous ramblings only happen on rare occasions when Will lets his walls down. Nonetheless, this was not reality and she quickly dismissed her internal debate, waiting patiently for Will to finish his venting.

However, she suddenly felt a wave of anger and irritation at him.

"You _did_ tell me to leave the manor." She retorted, a snarky tone seeping its way into her speech.

"And you didn't even do as I asked. Instead, you slept like a vagabond in my orchards. Sure you stayed one night in the guest room. But are you this dim-witted? Are you incapable of following instructions?" Will threw his hands up in exaggeration, his expression unfathomable.

"Frankly, I don't give a damn." She fumed, furious at Will for degrading her intelligence.

He turned to face her again with a dumbfounded look, the side of his lips twitching in amusement at her foul language. Clearing his throat, Will ignored Tessa's words and crossed his arms over his chest. She then interrupted him before he could even speak.

"You are terribly rude, you know? It really doesn't create the best first impression." Moving the thin blanket off her, Tessa stood up and stalked towards him, demonstrating the lack of fear she had for the vampire. "First and foremost, you are an alcoholic in the highest sense, but with human blood acting as a substitute for alcohol. Not that that is any excuse."

"You-"

"I'm not finished." Tessa sent him a icy glare to match his own. Ironic that she would receive a spontaneous burst of courage, only when the two of them bickered. "Moreover, you are a sex addict. I shan't elaborate on that." Tessa had to stop herself. She was about to mockingly mention Six-Fingered Nigel before she bit her tongue, continuing with her rant. "And finally, you are so cocky, it's repulsive. Haven't you ever heard that women like gentlemen?"

"Not unless the men have my looks." He smirked, moving closer to Tessa as well. "At that point, personality isn't a priority."

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Honestly, you woke me up just to antagonize me." Huffing, Tessa spoke in disbelief.

"I would not have to antagonize you if you were obedient."

"Oh! Do forgive me, master." Tessa snarled, sarcastically. Currently, she was fed up with his 'omnipotent, omniscient' behaviour. It was beginning to go stale. "I hadn't realized that I was to become another one of your sheep."

"Well, be glad you have it figured out now."

"It's a shame I won't act on it."

"It will be even more of a shame when I tear your heart out and drain your body." On cue, Will bared his teeth at her, unsheathing his two lengthened canines. When she first arrived here, Tessa would have flinched. After her encounter with Gabriel, she felt gratitude towards the vampire for displaying a more humane side. It had given her hope for Will. With that, Tessa felt the last piece of fear in her system shrivel away; she knew he wouldn't bite her again.

"A shame indeed. Though may I ask, why you have yet to follow through with your words?"

"Pardon me?" His smirk dropped and he licked his lips in anticipation of her answer.

"Did I stutter?" She challenged, raising an eyebrow. All of a sudden, Gabriel's words appeared in her mind. _As long as you continue to raise hell in Will's life._ What Gabriel didn't know was that Will was raising right back at her.

His aloof expression was then replaced with one of menace. "You are the most sharp-tongued, irate, aggravating woman I have ever met!"

She sputtered, indignantly. "Did I forget to mention that you are just as much of an self-serving, conceited bastard as I am? Perhaps in different words, but allow me to restate it. You are a self-serving, conceited bastard."

His dusky blue eyes darkened considerably.

With reckless abandon, Will crushed Tessa's lips to his, unable to explain the burning desire he had for this mouthy, raging woman. Her lips moved softly against his as they pressed together, harmonizing and dancing as one. He tugged her closer, tenderly wrapping his arm around her waist. Soon enough, their two bodies were moulded into one another, causing Will to groan at how she fit perfectly into his body. Almost like the missing piece of jigsaw puzzle. He wanted to do far more than taste her blood and indulge in her body. No, she had turned Will's life upside-down in the matter of almost three days. There were no words to describe his emotions.

Feeling like she was going too far over her head, Tessa pulled back, panting. Staring thoughtfully into his dark azure eyes, she was glad to notice that he also appeared out of breath. This was Will. This was her Will. Swallowing, Tessa closed her eyes for a brief moment, shocked by the intensity of the kiss.

Will watched the warm blood flush through her cheeks and neck. With a feathery touch, he brushed the back of his hand against her flustered cheek, feeling the liquid of life surging just beneath the surface. The verbal attacks Tessa had used were words that he had not heard in a long time as they had argued on the balcony. Not to mention the confusion she threw in when Tessa boldly pressed her lips against his. His mind had been reeling.

When her eyes flickered open, she noticed a streak of red gently roll down the soft apple of Will's cheeks. Reaching up, Tessa wiped away the coppery-scented liquid and bit her lip. She didn't realize vampire tears were composed of blood. Or that vampires could cry at all.

Will's eyes were closed, his thick, long, dark eyelashes brushing against cool, pale skin. It was the most vulnerable she had seen him.

"I don't want to taste your blood." Will's eyes snapped open, his eyes burning even more with the intensity of a thousand suns. "I want... I... I want..." He bit his lip and glanced away.

"You want happiness."

Will nodded, still avoiding her gaze.

"You want... love." Tessa spoke slowly and gently. "You don't want to be alone anymore."

"I already know Cecily has feelings for Gabriel, so I know they'll both leave me one day." This surprised Tessa; though she was content that Gabriel's feelings were returned. "Who will I be with then? Just a random assortment of barely conscious, barely clothed women. I just..." He swallowed nervously, pausing for a brief moment, before pulling away. "I can't do this, Tess. I-"

"Yes, you can." She held his gaze, trying to convey every emotion she felt at the moment for him. "It will take time. And I know it isn't immediate change, but you have the willpower to keep you going strong."

"I..." His eyes were frightful and jittery as he appeared shaken with a similar expression to that of cornered prey.

"I'll be here for you, Will." Tessa's voice was determined and passionate. She knew full well that the journey to get away from his addictions was far from over. However, this was an incredible start to begin the process with. "Always."

Little did he know, she meant that in more ways than he could know.

"Thank you, Tess." Will whispered, pulling her close once more. "Does this mean you hate me less now?" He added, with a glimmer of the old witty flair Will possessed.

Tessa closed her eyes and her soft laugh echoed through the room. "I have never hated you. Frustrated, yes. Furious, yes. Wishing I could replay the evening in the living the first day we met, yes." With the flick of a wrist, she tossed some loose locks over her shoulder. "Yet may I ask how you changed your mindset within three days?"

"It was not easy. Though your constant bombardment of verbal abuse may have played a major role." He tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "As cliché as it sounds, you sparked many emotions that I haven't felt… ever."

She beamed at him, unable to contain her joy.

"Stay with me, Tess." He whispered.

"Where would I go?" Tessa asked, gazing at him with what she hoped was pride and love emanating from her expressive eyes, before tucking her face in the crook of his neck and inhaling deeply. His scent surrounded her and she was so euphoric, she felt as if she were floating.

Opening her eyes, Tessa recognized Will's form fade away from her touch and she desperately reached out for him. Clutching at air, she bit her lip as she watched the image of the smiling Will disintegrated into mist. A sensation of melancholy swept through her like a hurricane, causing her to feel both angry that she had lost Will again.

Nevertheless, when Tessa began to fall once more, she was content at knowing that the fall meant she had unlocked a portion of his mind. Reaching up, Tessa lightly touched her swollen lips.

She smiled blissfully as she continued to fall towards unconsciousness.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I once again apologize for not updating sooner. :( And I also won't be able to update for a next couple weeks, as I'm going on vacation. But **the guilt was eating me alive** to post this chapter. So here it is. Every mistake made is mine. I really hoped you liked this chapter though. It made me kind of nervous :S

Regardless, I hope it was alright. Thank you for sticking with me. I suck. I know.

Review and send some love? :) Or even hate. Whatever. Send flames my way. I can't promise I won't retaliate though :D

**Questions of the Chapter (QofC): **Clockwork Princess cover is out! Love or hate? And Cassie's teasers! Just reading them gives me a brain hemorrhage from all those overwhelming emotions.

Also, can anyone find the reference I made to another book in this chapter?


	4. Greed

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Note: **Just returned from vacation! :) Though it wasn't really vacation. I just essentially worked as a waitress the entire time. But on the upside, I managed to travel to the university I want to go to! :D It's a little more than four hours away from where I live so we've had difficulty finding time to visit, but I fell head over heels in love. There's no doubt where I want to go. Crossing my fingers for this year, guys. I'm going to either cry tears of joy or grief when my acceptance/rejection letters arrive.

Thank you for the lovely reviews and for sticking with me so far! :) This chapter was oddly difficult to write. And you are all very lucky, as this one is more than 9000 words. To make up for the two week hiatus, I guess. I also feel like I jumped around a lot... so sorry about that. But it's hard to squeeze all of this into one chapter.

I'd like to say to expect the next chapter in a week... I don't schedule things around my writing. I write around my schedule, which I'm sure that a majority of people understand. :)

And now, here is Greed...

* * *

**Chapter Songs:**

_Warning Sign - Coldplay_

_Get Up - Barcelona_

_Marching Bands of Manhattan - Death Cab for Cutie_

* * *

_"How doth the little crocodile  
__Improve his shining tail,  
__And pour the waters of the Nile  
__On every golden scale!"_

_- Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Caroll_

* * *

**CHAPTER 4: GREED**

_Tessa._

Tessa involuntarily squeezed her eyes tighter.

"Tessa."

Something shook her shoulders, to which she groaned in annoyance. Rolling over, she shoved her head underneath her pillow.

"I swear to the Angel, if you do not awake as of now, I will be reduced to ripping the comforter off you and throwing you over my shoulder like the barbarian I am."

Grumbling, Tessa opened her eyes, blinking a couple times to become adjusted to the newfound light. Once she finished, her eyes focused on a blurred form seated on her bed.

"How is this even proper, Will?" She complained, turning facedown into her pillow.

"It isn't," Will replied as if the answer was the simplest thing in the world. Which, much to Tessa's reluctance, it was. With a flick of his wrist, Will tossed the covers off her body. The monochromatic quilt collapsed on the ground beside the bed, a folded heap of lost warmth.

"And what if I were indecent, as well?" She peeked up at him from underneath a dark curtain of velvet brown hair. "What would you have done?"

"Revelled in the glorious view, obviously."

"You-" Tessa was cut off by another voice.

"Tessa, rise and shine! We have a full day of-" Sophie glided into the room with lithe, fluid movement before halting to a stop as she saw the smug grin on Will's face. "Well, I guess I really shouldn't have expected any less of you." Will smirked and cocked his head to the side. His dark locks fell into his eyes as he did so; Tessa ignored the fluttering wings in the pit of her stomach. "Now begone! Shoo!" She walked towards him and made swatting motions as if he were a pestering fly. Continuing to usher him away, Sophie forced him out the door.

"Agh!" Will flinched. "You actually managed to hit me that time."

"Shame." Sophie said, smiling dulcetly before slamming the door in his face. Turning back to Tessa, who laid in a crumpled mess in her nightgown, Sophie scowled. "And why was he in your room, Miss Gray?"

"Because Will is an unyielding man who does not understand the concept of boundaries." She rubbed her eyes wearily and threw her legs over the side of the bed.

"I resent that," came a muffled voice from outside her bedroom.

"I rest my case." Tessa sighed and restrained herself from smiling at their playful banter. Glancing outside, she noticed uncharacteristic rays of sunshine over the typically dreary London.

"It's beautiful today, is it not?" Sophie's lips twisted into a wistful expression before she reached into the closet for today's dress. "I believe we'll be going out today. Mundane tasks, if you will. Charlotte did mention something about dress shopping."

"I'd love that." Tessa sighed as she shimmied out of her nightgown and pulled on stockings, as well as a knee-length pale chemise, completing her basic undergarments. She glanced at the outer layer dress. It was casual, simple, and lacked a corset, just the way she liked it.

Sophie held up a corset, sending Tessa a perplexed glance. "You may as well wear one. Imagine the shock on the faces of the dressmakers when they realize you are not wearing one."

"They'll be absolutely appalled." Tessa fought back a grin in fear that she was picking up some of Will's carefree and impulsive speech.

"You have beautiful hair, by the way." The shorter woman smiled softly as she aided in tightening the corset around Tessa's waist. Every once in a while, Tessa released a small grunt of pain and winced. It had been a while since she had slipped one of these on. And she couldn't say that she missed the way they constricted her breathing.

"It cannot compare to yours, Sophie." She said softly and wistfully, her eyes flickering in the mirrors over to Sophie's lustrous, thick hair.

"Do not even start, Miss Gray." Sophie scolded lightly. "Look at you. You're perfection."

"But nothing like a Georgia peach." Tessa murmured beneath her breath.

Sophie stopped her movements. "Is that an American phrase?" Tessa nodded, to which Sophie rolled her eyes and diverted their attention to another subject. "We shall be going dress shopping today. The Penhallows are holding a ball next week. A event surely formulated to shift everyone's attention from all this Mortmain nonsense happening."

"I despise dress shopping." Tessa grumbled, petulantly. "All that happens is that I parade around in my undergarments for dressmakers to speculate and criticize the size of my waist or my figure."

"Undergarments, you say?" Will's muffled voice echoed through the closed door.

"Will!" Tessa shouted, throwing a hairbrush at the door. It sounded with a large _thunk_ against the wood, shocking the man behind the door and resulting in a very surprised Will, falling onto the floor of the hallway.

"Were you listening in this entire time?" Sophie opened the door, staring down furiously at Will's pathetically innocent expression. He was seated on his bottom, a hand trying to fix the shock of dark hair that sat on his head.

"No." Despite his words, Will had the audacity to appear sheepish, as if he were being scolded by a nun.

"Don't you think you've had your fair share of snooping around everyone's privacy already?" Sophie scolded. Tessa shook her head at the scene before her, already properly dressed and decent at the door. She leaned down and lent a small hand to help Will onto his feet.

"No, not at all." Will smiled charmingly while shrugging his shoulders. "I do love dress shopping." He spoke in a carefree tone, before leaving down the hallway.

"Impropriety, Will! Impropriety!" Tessa called after him.

"Taboo in society, Tess. Remember? Taboo in society." Will grinned widely as he almost skipped away like a fool, leaving two women behind him, questioning how Charlotte and Henry ever managed to reel him in.

**xx**

Tessa woke to a start, her heart pounding as quickly as an Olympic runner from the memory. Her chest tightened with the fond memories of the past. She squeezed her eyelids in hopes of pulling the nauseous feeling from the pit of her stomach. For some odd reason, the room appeared to be shaking. She stared quizzically at her bed, which appeared to rock back and forth. Frowning, Tessa noticed that this wasn't the bed she had fallen asleep in, in Will's subconscious. Or it was a different universe in his mind.

Then, Tessa began to notice the other aspects of the room. Planks lined the walls and floors, stretching across the room with dark, woody boards. A couple barrels had made their home in the corner of the room and the smell of mead and salt filled the room.

Suddenly, the bed jerked forward, causing Tessa to shriek. Her startled scream induced the sound of a man shouting outside her door.

"Miss! Miss! Are you alri-" A shock of ginger hair tumbled in through her door. The toe of the man's boot caught onto a loose plank, causing him to stumble into a barrel, which began to ominously roll towards him. Attempting to avoid the barrel's wrath, he leapt over the first one and smirked in triumph, unaware that another barrel had fallen. It was a little too late when the red-haired man noticed the second barrel; he only had enough reaction time to clumsily slump and roll over the moving barrel, before taking a breather on the floor.

_Oh, Henry._ Tessa fought the smile pulling on her lips. Even when he didn't try to be, Henry Branwell was comically whimsical. She was glad that some things never change.

Feigning confusion, Tessa backed up against her headboard, curling the sheets around her body. "Who are you? Where am I?"

"No worries, dear. I am not an intruder. My name is Henry and I serve under the Herondale family." Henry stood up, brushing his coat and brushing his unruly ginger curls out of his face. His cheeks were flushed with embarrassment. "I apologize for startling you, but you shrieked earlier. I wanted to make sure you were safe."

"I see," She restrained herself from raising an eyebrow at her words. "What happened?"

Henry gave a warm, encouraging smile to the young woman before him. "Lord Herondale discovered you, passed out on the harbour before we set off. He insisted on bringing you to the basement as the passenger rooms are few aboard the S.S. Republic. A fine, mighty cargo ship."

_S.S. Republic? Why did that name ring a bell?_ Tessa wondered, vaguely remembering that her acquaintance had stowed away on a cargo ship once from New York. The hysterical girl planned to follow her lover to London, but Tessa never knew if she ever got to her destination. _Perhaps I'll see her again._

"How did I get onto a cargo ship?" Tessa half inquired, half mused. As she had learnt earlier, these universes appeared to be nonexistent, yet she felt unnerved at being unable to shake off the feeling that this cargo ship was more real than she had originally expected. Maybe with different people though, as a 'Lord Herondale' was mentioned. _I wonder if he'll be as much as a pain in this universe..._

"You mean to say you do not remember anything?" Henry's eyebrows furrowed. Before Tessa could affirm, he waved his hand and shrugged. "Not as if you can go anywhere. Lord Herondale has been awaiting your awakening. You have been unconscious for almost a full week."

"A week..." She whispered, briefly pondering whether Will had checked up on her sleeping form.

"Lord Herondale will greet you at a later time. He is currently in discussion with others at the moment. As for now, we shall bring you to the dining hall. It's not much, but it shall do, miss." Sweeping his gaze over his attire once more, Henry gestured with his hand for Tessa to follow him. She glanced down to notice she was fully clothed, in a corset, stockings, the complete set, with the exception of her worn boots, which sat in isolation beside her bed. Swiftly weaving the laces through, Tessa was on her feet and hurried after Henry.

"You do have to forgive the mess, but this was not meant to be a passenger ship." Henry spoke regrettably as he side-stepped a damp wooden crate, filled with questionable materials.

"Of course," Tessa nodded politely as the two reached a quaint room with a large table and a couple stools. "I'm grateful you even allowed me in."

"May I just prepare briefly on Lord-"

"Henry! My good sir, care for an afternoon drink?" A male voice boomed happily, surrounded by obnoxious giggles.

An ashamed expression flickered over Henry's face at the indisposed Will, surrounded with two scantily-dressed women, who appeared to belong to a brothel. "Lord... Herondale, it _would_ be a pleasure, but it is only noon-"

"You know what they say, Henry! It's eight o'clock somewhere... or is it seven? Six? Perhaps five. Yes, five." He slurred, a lazy grin stretching across his face. Soon enough, Will's gaze settled on Tessa, his midnight coloured eyes unflinching. "I see you're awake, Sleeping Beauty. My name is Will Herondale." He winked cheekily.

Tessa initially meant to retort something back, but instead, made a noise of aggravation. Something of a cross between a huff and a whine. She wasn't impressed at all at this universe's Will. Then, Tessa was horrified. She had briefly been more appalled by Will's sexual desires in this universe than his killer instincts in the past one. Suddenly, jealousy flittered on a butterfly wings through her mind.

Henry began once more, clearly stunned at Will's revolting behaviour. "William, please do not-"

"I'm sorry, but please do forgive me. I have some... international business to attend to." He winked at Tessa. "Would you like to join me, miss?"

"No," Tessa spoke coldly. The predatory gaze that vampire Will had, was nothing compared to the stare that this Will was giving her. Shuddering subtly, she hesitated before adding, out of pure etiquette, "Thank you."

"You should really consider it. _Ménage à... quatorze_?" Will grinned wickedly, his dark eyes raking over her modest dress. Knowing enough to get along, she knew that Will's alcohol-muddled mind mistakened _quatorze_ for the number four. While he really meant a 'foursome,' Will had said a 'fourteen-some.'

Instead of responding, Tessa held her tongue and turned to the alarmed Henry. "What is there to eat?"

Immediately, and almost as if he had had it rehearsed, Henry robotically said, "French baguettes, chicken broth, bread rolls, saltine crackers, shrimp, and fish fillets. And some... apples?" He glanced over at a roughened, wooden bowl containing a brown fruit. "I'm sure they taste just fine."

"Of course," Tessa nodded.

"Tess, don't allow Henry to bore you. Come along and we'll have a good time." Will drawled conspiratorially.

_Somewhere in the recesses of Will's mind, his alternate realities all know my nickname_, Tessa sighed, unable to contain the hurt that was pulsing through her body.

Suddenly, the boat shuddered against the ocean's impact, pressing against the sturdy walls of the cargo ship. The ground beneath her feet rocked and she stumbled forwards, reaching out for the nearest object to steady herself. Unfortunately, the nearest object was Will. Tessa ended up grasping desperately at his wrinkled, white dress shirt for dear life, her eyelids squeezed tightly together. She had never enjoyed boat rides, especially the one she took from New York to London. Not only had it been tedious, but it had stirred her stomach in such a way that she could not help but grimace as her stomach rolled in every direction.

"It's alright, my dear." Will smirked, his lips curling up into a cross between a smug smile and a look of ecstasy. His hands were placed firmly on her upper arms to steady her balance. "Many women swoon and fall over just from the sight of me as well."

Before Tessa could reply back, she reeled backwards out of his arms and took a couple heavy breaths, swallowing the urge to vomit on Will. When she didn't, Tessa allowed herself a brief pat on the back, feeling relieved that she hadn't humiliated herself in such a way. Unfortunately, the boat rocked once more and Tessa crumpled onto the ground on her knees and palms, With shallow breaths and a silvery sheen of sweat across her forehead.

"Miss, are you alright?" Henry rushed to her side and helped her to her feet.

"Just... dizzy. I think I'm going to return to my chambers." Tessa blinked rapidly a couple times, before giving Henry a weary, but apologetic, smile. She _had_ wanted to dine before (the sound of baguettes and broth sounded scrumptious), but the tossing of her stomach was keeping her from doing so.

"I'll take it from here, Henry." Will said, sobering up from earlier. An unfathomable expression flittered across his face as he watched Tessa shakily move past him into the hallway. She reminded him of a newborn calf that was taking its first steps. It was almost endearing to him. Ignoring Henry's shouts of protests, as well as the complaints from the two women beside him, Will briskly hooked his arm through Tessa's.

"I don't require your assistance." She glared, staring daggers at him.

"Of course you do," He retorted. "If I weren't here, you would be right back on this floor."

Tessa huffed indignantly in response, trying to figure out what the next sin she had to combat. _Gluttony was finished, but what was the sin in this universe? _She suddenly panicked._ Sins wouldn't be repeated, would they?_

Will broke her thoughts by asking quietly, "How did you end up here of all places?"

The soft lull of his voice drew her in like a moth to a flame. Restraining herself from acting on the feelings brewing beneath the surface, Tessa simply shrugged and replies, "I'm not sure."

"You're not sure." He repeated in disbelief. "You're not sure how you ended up on a more-than one thousand ton cargo ship on its way to New Orleans, Louisiana. The City of sin, alcohol, freedom, and musical expression."

Tessa had heard of New Orleans but had never been there while she had lived in America. Curiously, she knew she had to ask this question to clarify. "What year is it?"

"1865." He replied, breezily.

_1865._

The time period was before Tessa even existed. The thought made her shudder at how easily life came and went. Furthermore, she was surprised that his tone held no judgement, unlike Cecily's answer had had in the previous universe. Will hadn't expressed any confusion and disbelief at her question, to which the typical person would have thought her to be crazy.

"You know, I'm flattered that you enjoy looking at me, but stopping in the middle of the hall is becoming borderline creepy."

Horrified, Tessa realized she had abruptly stopped walking in the hallway to study Will's face. Mumbling apologies, she turned her reddened cheeks away from his amused gaze and continued walking.

"Are you of noble birth?"

Will's question momentarily caught her off guard. His expression showed that he was either oblivious or ignoring her mortification.

"No," Tessa spoke softly.

Will grinned brilliantly at Tessa, causing her breath to hitch in her throat. The smile was easy-going and showed genuine honesty. "I'm glad," He replied happily. "I've had enough of those arrogant noble folk."

"Because you are definitely _not_ arrogant, correct?" Tessa snorted.

"Hmm, perhaps." He mused quietly, as if he were lost in his thoughts.

"And what about those harlots you left back there? Aren't they going to be angry?" She said, the disgust evident in her voice. Just the thought of Will with those women tore her insides apart. She tensed just as he answered, though his expression had visibly softened, displaying that he was begin to sober up completely. Subtly inhaling in Will's scent, she found that there was no trace of alcohol on his breath or his clothing. Only the cool smell of mint leaves and a hint of cinnamon spices. Grimacing, she knew he hadn't been drinking. This drunkenness was all an act. Very much like the Will she had encountered when she first met Jem.

Her throat constricted in agony at the thought of Jem's name. _By the Angel, Jem. I miss you._

"They don't mean anything." His eyes were downcast and his facial expression was unreadable.

Tessa tried to refocus herself on their conversation. "Then, why even subject yourself to those kind of women?" She asked, quietly.

Will was silent for a moment.

"I don't know."

Will was pulling his walls back up around him like an impenetrable fortress. With frustration coursing through her, Tessa let out a quiet sigh. She was saddened to know that her efforts were thwarted once more.

With reckless abandon, she blurted out the question that had been racking her mind for quite a while. "_Lord_ Herondale, why are you on a cargo ship? If you are of nobility, should you not have access to the most posh passenger ships?" Once the words left her lips, she immediately regretted it. Will would close up like a clam, or a cornered and threatened animal. And Tessa was correct.

A dark cloud passed over his features.

"My name is _Will_." He stressed before quickly regaining his composure. "I want it all. Sin. Alcohol. Money." His eyes shined with a wistful memory and he smiled, though it did not reach his piercing eyes. "It was a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Miss Gray. I'll see you tomorrow. Rest well." Will replied gently, gesturing to her door, before turning in the other direction.

"Will," Tessa called out softly. He stopped and turned slightly to face her. "How did you know my full name?"

"Your full name?" He appeared as if he were going to deny it, but closed his mouth as he noticed he had never asked this woman for her name, yet already had knowledge of it. Brushing his stray dark locks from his blue eyes, Will shrugged and replied glibly, "Luck?"

She showed no emotion and merely nodded, before bidding him farewell and turning into her quarters. Tugging loose the laces of her boots and her corset, she laid down just in her underclothing. Her hair spread out across the small pillow and she closed her eyes briefly. From what he had said earlier about wanting everything, Tessa had an intuition that the sin was greed. And the sin had sprung from whatever had sparked the turmoil in Will to head towards New Orleans. Had he run away from his family with just Henry by his side? In reality, Will had heard of the drunkenness of his father, the depression of his mother, the death of Ella, his older sister, and the strained relationship with Cecily. That was definitely a possibility. Or perhaps it was something more. Whatever it was, Tessa was determined at free Will from his greed and find the source of his pain.

The enigma of Will Herondale was one that wasn't easily unravelled.

**xx**

Another few days had passed and Will had continued to act in a friendly manner towards Tessa. She was pleased to know she was making progress into discovering the secret behind his greed. If she had been hesitant on what his sin was before, she wasn't now. The little things he said confirmed the sin.

"I'm going to go on a cruise when I arrive in New Orleans." Will smiled happily. They were walking along the upper deck. Tessa felt the sun warming her skin and the cool breeze fluttering through as well. It was cloudy, but not enough to fully cover the sun.

"Oh, really?" She cocked an eyebrow.

"Yes, and I'll have a business so I'll have access everything we would have ever wanted." He threw his head back and his arms into the air, closing his eyes, enjoying the fresh, salty smell of the ocean.

Tessa's ears picked up on something. "We?"

"Pardon?" He tilted his head back to its regular position and glanced quizzically at her.

"You said what _we_ would have ever wanted. Not what _I_ have ever wanted'." Puzzled, Tessa found it peculiar that he had used both a past tense and a reference to more than one person.

"Oh, did I?" He replied absentmindedly. "I meant _I_. As in singular."

She wasn't going to pry any further as they made their way into the common area. Newspapers were perched on a small table. Curiously, she opened one to see what was happening right now in this reality. The newspaper was complete with almost everything, from job offers to advertisements for new boots. If not anything else, Will's mind was incredibly detailed.

_October 1865_, was written in bolded print across the right corner of every page.

_1865_. An epiphany washed over Tessa. _The S.S. Republic. New Orleans. _All the facts gathered in her mind causing Tessa to swallow nervously at the next word that came to mind. Her hands trembled like leaves. _Hurricane. _Her eyelids fluttered closed as she thought of the news article her aunt had read her from the years of her early childhood.

_The S.S. Republic sunk off the coast of Georgia, due to the arrival of tropical hurricane, while en route to New Orleans._

Horrified and hyperventilating, Tessa backed away from the wooden table. No, not this ship. She stared at the cloudy sky. It didn't appear as if a hurricane was approaching. There would be more wind. More rain.

_But do witnesses ever say that it appears as if a hurricane were coming_? No. It arrives like a typical rain storm, gradually turning into a fully realized hurricane.

Tessa had less time to pass this trial than expected. She had to help Will before they all perished in a hurricane. Were there any survivors on the S.S. Republic? She racked her brain for more of what the article had said, but she couldn't remember no matter how much she tried.

Will was chuckling as he ran over to her. "Tessa, look at what Jonathon can do with his feet-" He saw her terrified expression. "Are you alright?"

Tessa placed the newspaper onto the table. She studied his wind-tousled dark hair, his bright smile, and his crooked suspenders. She could not fail him and allow the life to be snuffed out of him like a blown-out candle.

"Yes, I'm alright."

The pair waltzed off. One of them delighted at their newfound freedom and excitement. Another dreaded the peril and death that was soon to come.

"Fair winds ahead!" Someone shouted on the deck.

_Fair winds, indeed._

**xx**

The morning rays of sunshine danced through the small windows o her room. Dust and other small particles danced in the streams of light as Tessa opened her eyes. Brilliant azure eyes stared back at her, shiny dark hair falling haphazardly around his face.

"Rise and shine, Tessa!" Will spoke cheerily.

"How are you so energetic in the morning?" Tessa sat up, rubbing her eyes. Will didn't respond to Tessa's surprise. She glanced up at him and raised an eyebrow, only to see that when she sat upright, the blankets had fallen around her body and left her undergarments for him to see. His eyes darkened visibly as they took in her state of immodesty, before Tessa frantically pulled her sheets up around her body. She blushed.

A smirk spread across Will's lips. He arched an eyebrow in return. "Best be getting dressed. Wouldn't want any strange men catching a glimpse of your undergarments, would you?"

"You... you're incredible." Tessa shook her head at him, frowning. This reminded her of the memory she had had before entering this universe, sans Sophie.

"Why thank you. I pride myself in my incredible qualities."

"Shoo." Tessa waved him out, to which he grinned cheekily and skipped his way out the door. Quickly getting dressed, she heard Henry's voice scolding from the hallway.

"William!" Henry's voice echoed through the wooden door, appalled and shocked. "How could you enter a lady's room as she slumbers? This is improper. She is immodest."

"Above the rules now, remember Henry?" Will drawled to Henry.

"What would Jem have thought?" Henry continued to fume. "He wouldn't have wanted this."

Tessa froze as she pulled her stockings on; at the exact moment Will tensed in the hallway.

_Jem._

Her heart quickened as she tried to swallow the waterfall of tears. The mention of Jem's name aloud was like reopening a flesh wound. When Tessa had thought about him, the pain was more bearable than having to acknowledge it outside her mind. Her fists clenched around the blankets as shame passed over her; she had been so focused on bringing back Will and had only thought of Jem once since she entered Will's subconscious. Magnus had told her to avoid distractions, to which she was succeeding. But it felt like betrayal not to mourn Jem. Her heart and mind were torn between focusing on the mission and giving herself a little time.

_But you don't have time._ A voice mentioned in the back of Tessa's mind.

No, she didn't.

Time was of the essence in this case. As she spent more time in Will's subconscious, he was gradually deteriorating on the outside. While Tessa had not been given a time constraint, she knew there was one. And if anything were to happen to Will on the outside, due to his failing body, Tessa would never forgive herself. Not to mention that what would happen to her remained unknown. She knew for a fact that she would be stuck in her as long as she couldn't pass a trial. Yet, that was under the condition that Will's heart is beating.

Another condition of this part of Will's subconscious was the threat of a hurricane. Tessa had never seen one in her life. And she had no desire to change that status.

Listening through the thin walls, Tessa could almost see his expression harden; she heard his tone drop into one of barely contained fury. "Don't think for one second that you know what Jem would want, Henry."

"I'm sorry, Will. But this... this escape to New Orleans is not the way to deal with things." Henry reasoned softly, as if he were speaking to a wounded animal. "You know, he was like my son too, just as you are."

"Good_bye_, Henry." Will stressed through clenched teeth.

A quiet, anguished sigh was released in the hallway, followed by padded retreating footsteps. This was followed by a more frustrated one, but held an immense amount of pain from Will, who quietly slipped back through the door to a fully dressed Tessa.

Meanwhile, the heavy silence hung in the air like festering mildew. Neither person wanted to acknowledge what had just happened there, but it had ripped open the wound regardless. Tessa wanted to know what had happened to Jem inside this reality.

"I brought breakfast." Will spoke at last with a smile that didn't quite reach his midnight blue eyes. _Un bon petit déjeuner pour débuter la journée, mademoiselle_," was added at the end for a little flourish.

Tessa cocked her head to the side, not fully understanding the French at the end. He had said something about her breakfast for her journey, alluding to the journey to New Orleans.

Following his words, Will held up a metal tray in his hands that contained a small piece of bread, some vegetable soup, and a banana that appeared fresher than most of the apples in the dining hall. Swiftly moving across the room, he placed it gingerly on a mahogany table beside her. While it was a small meal, Tessa could tell that Will had put some heart into it. And she was grateful that he had done this; Tessa recognized that somewhere, this Will was as agonized as the real Will had been.

"Thank you." Her tone soft and her eyes glistening from both the previous mention of Jem and the tenderness that Will's actions had exhibited.

"Well, it was nothing. Really." Will reached up to thread his fingers through his hair, brushing it out of his eyes. He was surprised that Tessa didn't pry about Jem. It was unusual for anybody to avoid questioning him when Henry mentioned something that significantly affected his mood.

On the other hand, Tessa wanted nothing more than to interrogate him once more, regarding the other women. But despite the burning jealousy, she suppressed it into a small drawer at the back of her mind. She also didn't want to spoil the sweetness transpiring between the two of them.

"Why did you make me breakfast?" Tessa asked, quietly. She honestly wanted to know why he wasn't performing the drunken fool act today as he had the previous day.

He blinked. "I can't make breakfast for a beautiful lady?"

"Would you have made breakfast for those other women, had they been around?" Tessa arched an eyebrow.

"What makes you think I haven't already?" He retorted, but with a defensive underlying tone, feeling the repulsion roll off Tessa in waves.

"Nothing at all, I guess." She said in a petty manner. It was childish; to argue as if she were in a romantic courtship with Will, when she wasn't at all. Both in reality and in these universes. Swallowing her pain, her eyes flickered downwards, feeling them prickle with weariness. Blinking away the oncoming tears, Tessa glanced back up at Will, who was watching her with his burning gaze. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. But why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?"

He tensed for a moment, before running his hands through his hair again. Turning away, Will began to pace across her room.

"I have a proposition for you," said Will anxiously. "Come to New Orleans."

"I am, apparently." Tessa gestured to the ship they were standing on.

"No, not like that. I mean, stay. We'll have a great time together. Honest. I swear." He swallowed nervously. She was entranced by the bobbing of his Adam's apple, feeling the tingles begin in her fingertips. "I don't have a single companion besides Henry, who is only coming with me until we reach New Orleans. Then, he is on his way back after he sees me safely to my destination."

She was quiet for a moment. "Why me?"

"Because you look like you can put up with my bullshit."

At his cursing, Tessa burst out in laughter. His logic made no sense and she didn't believe that accepting his proposition to be friends was going to help her pass this trial. If his sin in this one was greed, how was she to pull him out of his greedy nature? Tessa swore with all her heart it had something to do with Jem. And she was determined to find out.

"What exactly about my proposition was humorous to you?" A smile played on his lips.

"You barely know me." She shook her head incredulously.

"I know you enough to know that you'll be better company than anyone else." He replied charmingly.

"Would I?" She replied, testily.

"Please?"

"What's your real motive?" Tessa had stopped laughing and saw a strange glint in his eyes. _Eyes are the windows to the soul..._

"You believe I have an ulterior motive?" Will almost appeared proud. "I guess I do. Very insightful. Let me be honest then. You and I. We could strike it rich down in New Orleans. I have connections to be taking over a business down there, but I need someone to back me up. Imagine the fame, Tessa!" His eyes glimmered with excitement. "We could even stretch out to build another branch of the business! A franchise even!"

"Businesses are risky."

"Of course. It's all risky _business_." He pointed out.

"So this breakfast was to butter me up before breaking this news."

"Yes." He shrugged nonchalantly, as if he wasn't ashamed that he was essentially asking Tessa to be used.

"Who says I'd make a good business partner? I'm a woman." She frowned, knowing the rarity of business women. Not to mention that she knew not a single thing pertaining to the world of business, with the exceptions of the basics, of course. "I'm not a suitable business partner. Also, I don't enjoy your manipulation of words. You told me yesterday that you were going to New Orleans for alcohol, sin, and money. Business and alcohol do not mix, unless you wish to open tavern." She replied, testily. Her good mood had soured at the false security she held in their so-called friendship.

"I'm not manipulating your words. I need a companion. And here you are."

"That's _not_ how friendship works, Will." She fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"I wasn't asking for friendship. This is strictly business." His tone was slightly louder now, showing his frustration.

"Then why are you bothering to befriend me?" She couldn't avoid the hurt she felt seeping into her words.

"I thought this was an opportunity for you." Will had lost all the fight in his voice, which now held a defeated tone. "After all, you did stow away on this boat, as I did. I thought, perhaps, you were making a new life for yourself."

Suddenly, it dawned on her. "What are you trying to escape, Will?" Something had happened to Jem. And Will was trying to escape it as well. But she just couldn't determine the exact details.

Will glanced at her sharply. "I'm not escaping anything.

"You just said you were creating a new life for yourself." She moved closer to him, lending him a scrutinizing gaze. "It had something to do with Jem, doesn't it?" Saying his name aloud knocked the air out of her lungs again, but she had to press on. Tessa had to push him until his walls cracked and crumbled like an egg shell. She didn't have time. The hurricane was going to strike the ship and she had to resolve this level before they did.

"Don't say his name." His dark eyes narrowed with menace as he stalked closer to her with a threatening stance.

"What happened to Jem?"

"Stop-"

"Jem." She spoke a little louder as he moved closer. They were just in arms reach of one another.

"God! You infuriating-"

"Jem!" Tessa shouted, and pushed hard against his shoulders. The pain was overwhelming now and all she wanted to do was breakdown and weep. The tears were already threatening to spill and she quickly glanced over at the door, wondering if she could make her escape before she completely lost control.

"Why are you goading me?" Will shouted back after stumbling a bit from Tessa's push. He was about to advance to tower over Tessa again before he noticed her tears. Immediately, his tone quieted. "Why are you trying to instigate a fight?"

She felt terrible for bringing up something that was obviously painful for Will. Her anger also spouted from the grief of Jem's death which she still needed time to mourn. Two weeks wasn't enough to get over the death of one of her closest friends; Jem was also a man she loved and had hurt terribly. The strife caused between Jem and his parabatai was her fault and she couldn't help but blame herself. She was disgusted. She had hurt so many people, including Will.

"I... I don't know." She peered up at him, the apology evident on her face. "I don't know what came over me. I apologize." Her tone was now defeated, all will power and determination lost to the anguish she felt. The room appeared to close in, suffocating her. Tessa knew she needed to get out of this room immediately.

Will sensed there was something more as he felt strangely protective over this young woman. He reached out a hand to her, perplexed at the turn of events. Something she had said to him triggered the anguish inside her. "Tessa, wait. What's happening?"

She briskly left the room, tears brimming against her eyelashes. Angry at her impulsive decision to suddenly push him due to her anger at his proposition. Angry at how difficult Will was to crack open. Angry that he was suffering right now, mentally and physically. And angry that Jem's life was unfairly shortened.

"Tessa!" Will called from behind. "Tess- argh!" He tripped on a loose plank on the floor, fumbling forward. "Just slow down for a moment, please?"

With tired eyes, she turned around. Will took a sharp intake of breath at the evident pain on her face. Had she lost someone as well? Was she running away from a death that haunted her? Unable to accept the agonized expression on her face that had mirrored his a fortnight ago, he swallowed nervously and confessed everything.

"Jem was my greatest sin. He was my companion, my confidant, the one person I could count on who was always honest with me. My brother, but not in the technical sense. If you've ever encountered the Chinese ying-yang symbol, I'm the dark and he was the light. We balanced each other's misgivings. He died in an act of violence a fortnight ago trying to defend me after I made an impulsive decision."

Tessa was frozen on the spot. If she had known any better, this was the real Will talking about the loss of his parabatai in reality. It struck a chord in her and she bit her lip, turning away for a second. Pain washed over her all over again, her heart beating erratically and her hands clenched in fists.

"My parents never approved of Jem, as he wasn't of noble birth like I was. When I mourned him the first night, they were cruel and callous towards me, letting me know that their deepest desires were to release me from my 'bondage' to Jem. No matter what the costs. While they had not been the ones to murder him, their words sparked more anger than I had ever known." Will took a deep breath, settling his face in his hands. His voice was beginning to waver. "I left everything. Henry followed me to make sure I was safe. I can't be there when Jem is not."

The two gazed at one another, almost sharing each other's burdens (though Will still did not have any idea what Tessa's burden was). She seated herself beside him and boldly took his hand, squeezing it ever so slightly, as if to say, _I understand. I'm right here._

"Were you and Jem going to New Orleans?" She asked, quietly.

He nodded, his chin cupped in his hand and his elbow resting on his knee. The other hand held firmly onto Tessa's. "To be free of all the bastards that inhibited my city. New Orleans was a fresh start. We were going to there to start... the business. We wanted to meet women, and get married, and build a house. Maybe with a porch." He chuckled softly. "Jem's family died when he was young. He lived under Henry and his wife, Charlotte's care. Henry has more privileges as he was at the top of our servants. For all I cared, my family didn't exist."

"And you want... all of the fame, fortune, women. To make Jem proud." When Will didn't say anything, Tessa knew he was confirming her thoughts, but in denial of his ways. "Will, you realize that Jem would be happy for you no matter what."

"We were supposed to travel and see the world together." Intently, Will stared at the floor. Releasing Tessa's hand, he ran his fingers through his hair, and then leaned his nose against his clasped hands. "He died because I was reckless."

"Jem died protecting you. Which is the only way he would have wanted to go. Protecting..." _Your parabatai. The person you swore to be bound to._ "The person he loved."

"You're speaking as if you knew him."

Tessa was startled at Will's ability to perceive this. The fine boundaries between reality and this universe were beginning to blur. Who was she trying to convince? 1865 Will? Or her Will?

"I know that's what any good person would want."

Will closed his eyes and tilted his head back, leaning it against the wall. "Jem was good."

_Good is too vague and unexpressive to describe the compassion in Jem_. She thought, believing that he had possessed a quality of selflessness that almost no one could live up to. Except for Will.

They really were destined to be parabatai. Two halves of a whole.

Abruptly, the ship rocked violently, sending Tessa and Will tumbling to the opposite side of the hallway. Instinctively, Will reached out to gather Tessa in his arms to protect her from the impact. They hit the other side of the wall with a resounding crash. Shouts were echoing from the upper levels. Tessa and Will were just outside her room in the basement. They had much ground to cover before they reached the lifeboats.

"What's happening?" Will inquired, fear uncharacteristically emanating from his azure eyes.

"Hurricane." Tessa whispered, almost inaudibly. "Will, we have to get to the lifeboats."

"Good God," He pulled her to her feet and began sprinting, tugging Tessa along. She was gathering her skirt to avoid tripping on the fabric; in that moment, Tessa longed for the trousers she wore when she trained. "Where are the lifeboats?" Will shouted over the sound of water rushing in.

The hull had begun leaking.

Tessa had been so focused on relieving Will of his selfishness and guilt that she hadn't even thought about the location of the lifeboats.

"Follow the screaming! The others are most certainly headed in the same direction." She yelled back, pressing him forward.

They sprinted down the hallway towards the louds shouts above them, as the water moved up to their knees. She was quivering, trying to remain composed while they escaped. Their movements had become sluggish, due to the restriction from the water. With the stairs up ahead, Tessa clutched Will's hand tighter as they moved up the stairs, which had not yet begun to fill with water.

"One more floor, Tess! You'll be alright! I promise you!" He turned his frantic eyes on Tessa, studying her stormy irises with a soft throbbing in his chest. How could he be attached to her so quickly?

Furious, she turned her eyes on him. "_You'll _be okay as well!" When he didn't give a response, she shouted, "William Herondale, you're going to make it out alive whether you want to or not!"

The water was rising more quickly now and had reached their waists. Determined, Tessa and Will splashed their way, pushing their way through the halls, only to approach a closed door that led to the upper level.

"I swear to God!" Will roared, his eyes burning with anger. "If that door is locked..."

"Angel." Tessa whispered as Will frenziedly tried to wiggle open the wooden door. She didn't want to know what would happen if she died in Will's subconscious. _Don't let this be the end._

_I can't fail Jem._

_I can't fail Will._

Impulsively, she released Will's hand and went underwater. He shouted something in return but the words were muffled as she glanced around the murky water. A couple barrels were in the hallway. Before she could even swim after them, a hand yanked her up to the surface.

"Are you suicidal, woman?" Will yelled, scared out of his wits for the recklessness that resided in the form of Tessa, beside him.

"No, I'm trying to save our lives!" She retorted loudly. "There are small barrels down there that are easily breakable. We can use one of the shards to break open the door!"

"Doesn't mean you should go after them!"

"Why?" She taunted. "Because I'm a woman? Watch me." With those words, she went under once again and reached for a barrel. Despite the fact that Tessa struggled, she managed to break surface with the barrel, smashing it against the wall. Fragments of wood fell on the water. The water was at their stomachs.

As swiftly as his Shadowhunter self would have, Will grabbed a piece of large wood and hammered it against the door. He channelled his strength into trying to break open the door, watching as each time he struck the door, nothing appeared to happen. Tessa watched on with horror and grabbed a wood fragment herself, frantically attempting to free the two of them.

"It's not working!" She moaned.

"It will." He replied, frustrated but determined, before cracking a large enough hole in the middle. "Go, Tessa! Hurry!"

"You're coming right after me." She commanded.

"Alright, alright. Go through! I'm behind you."

She crawled through, barely fitting. How Will managed to squeeze through after was a complete mystery to her. However, Tessa couldn't complain. They rushed to the area where they believed the lifeboats were being released. The wind howled furiously in her ears, and the rain was firing down against them, drenching them both instantly. Tessa could barely see through the pouring rain, unsteady on her feet from the teetering of the ship.

"Will?" She asked, waiting for a response when she received none. "Will!" Tessa screamed against the hurricane winds, praying that she hadn't lost him.

"Right here!" She could make out his blurred form quickly approaching. Grabbing onto his hand, the two of them moved forwards.

"Where are the lifeboats?" Tessa's voice was barely above a whisper, yet Will was able to hear her.

"I don't know." He replied softly, not knowing what else to say.

At that moment, the ship decided to tip. Will reached out and pulled Tessa to his chest, forming a protective shield against the next incoming impact. The two of them were free-falling, Tessa's eyes were squeezed tightly but Will's eyes were wild with survival instinct. With his line of vision darting around, Will caught sight of a handle on the edge of the boat, swiftly using it to push him. In doing so, the two landed with less force on the ship.

Meanwhile, Tessa clung to Will like a lifesaver.

"Tessa," Will said, with pure awe. "A lifeboat below. Right there."

She momentarily opened her eyes and saw the object that could potentially save their lives.

"Jump." She whispered.

"You're officially insane." He would have sounded deadpanned, but the anxiety was hard to contain.

"It will float away. No one is in it. We have to." Tessa spoke slowly, testing the pros and cons. They were about ten feet off the water's surface. Survival was guaranteed, but so was a minor injury. "Jump." She repeated.

A couple moments passed with silence between them, despite the booming thunder, rain, and wind.

"If I perish in this fall, I will personally come back and haunt you. And if you perish in this fall, I will force you back to life." Will sighed.

"And if we both perish?"

He looked at her with a sad smile. "Then, it won't be so bad after all, will it?"

Tessa merely nodded, before the two flung themselves off the sinking ship and onto the lifeboat. _It was going to hurt, but better a broken bone than death, right? _She reasoned. Regardless, Will had a different perspective, clutching onto her once more and spinning them around so that he would land first and would cushion Tessa when she landed. He cried out in a short burst of pain before quieting himself. Tessa turned to him, fearful of how terribly hurt he was.

"You're such a fool." She bit her lip, seeing his leg twisted at an unnatural angle. It made her stomach churn and her heart clench in anguish. He was hurt because of her 'delicate' nature.

"You're welcome." He chuckled weakly, before leaning back and taking a deep breath.

"We need medical help." She glanced around despite it being futile.

"Hey, since we didn't die on the ship, we'll die out of dehydration or starvation on this lifeboat. Life is so ironic." Will mused darkly.

"You're such a pessimist."

"Funny. All this time I believed I was a realist."

At least Will still had his twisted sense of humour.

He continued, another conversational tangent forming already. "But perhaps it's all karma. I deserve this after all. I should've died and Jem should've lived, but of course, the fool pushed me out of the way. This is destiny's way of getting even, I guess. At least you're with me. But you have to live. There's no way I'm allowing you to die. Not here at least. I feel like some time in the future, they'll make a film based on my death and your rescue-"

"By the Angel, stop! No one deserves death. Jem died so you could live and _not_ throw that precious life away. And also, you're not even dying! Stop being so melodramatic!" Tessa huffed, her frustration getting the better of her. She also caught the word 'film,' which would've been more common in 1898, rather than 1865. A piece of the real Will had slipped through the nearly-flawless realities that were thrust upon her.

He was silent for a bit, before he beamed proudly. "I knew you could handle my bullshit."

"I'm not going to New Orleans to start a business with you." She crossed her arms, adamantly.

"No, I suppose not." Will replied softly. "But is it selfish and greedy for me to ask you if I may come with you? Wherever you are headed?"

"You... you wish to follow me?" She blinked, noticing the genuine expression on his face.

"I do. And I apologize for my callousness earlier." Will pulled himself into a more comfortable position, grimacing at the pain shooting through his legs. His calf was on fire and he closed his eyes briefly, wishing the pain away. Somehow, with Tessa safe and here with him, the pain dulled slightly. "You know, you really are my saviour, Tess. Both physically and mentally. If not for you, we would have never found the barrels in time. If not for you, I would still be drowning my sorrows in losing Jem." Will gazed at her with such intensity; Tessa felt a warmth like no other swell through her chest. "In a thousand other lives, I feel like you'll always be there to save me. My saviour."

She was shocked. _He_ was the one who had saved _her_ from the sinking boat and the fall to the lifeboat. But gazing into his dark azure orbs now, Tessa felt as if she were speaking with the real Will. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she managed a small smile for him.

"You saved me as well," She spoke gently.

"But you aid in relieving the pain left behind from Jem. It's still there, but I feel… lighter when I'm around you. Does that make any sense?" Tessa nodded encouragingly and Will released a long, weary breath. "You're worth so much more than alcohol and the city of sin. May I ask the honour of being by your side, wherever you go?"

The tenderness had returned and had melted the hard exterior around the two of them. Smiling, Tessa curled her fingers around his.

"Always."

The expression on Will's face was brilliant and brought a rush of nostalgic emotion through Tessa's chest. His eyes were bright with compassion and excitement and his lips were pulled up in the most handsome smile she had ever witnessed in her entire life. In her peripheral vision, Tessa noticed a strange mist suddenly begin to settle in.

She had passed.

Soon enough, Will's beautiful expression faded into the background once more, leaving Tessa with nothing more than a bittersweet feeling of finding and losing Will all over again. It was becoming both physically and emotionally exhausting for her and she knew that the next five sins would be of equal difficulty. Tessa also realized that Will had never pried once when she had been unable to control her emotions that pertained to Jem's death. He was respectful of her secrets, while she had been adamant to uncover his. All the while, Will continued to ignore what had confused him, in hopes that she would one day reveal the reasons behind her tearful, impulsive words.

Meanwhile, the first sin had been conquered through romance. Yet the sin of greed had not been.

_Be whoever Will needs you to be. Regardless of where it is a friend. A comforter. A confidant. Or romantic partner._

The newfound knowledge made her feel more prepared for the next sin. Relishing in the pride that she had been able to unlock another piece of Will's mind, Tessa felt the darkness sweep over her once more, cocooning her in its familiar abyss.

She smiled as she heard an echo of soft words.

_In a thousand other lives, I feel like you'll always be there to save me. _

_My saviour._

_May I ask the honour of being by your side, wherever you go?_

_Always._

* * *

**Author's Note:** And there it is, folks. More than 9000 words. Hand cramp? Check. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? Double check.

Meanwhile, feel free to leave any comments. Love it, hate it, constructive criticism. All mistakes and plot holes belong to me. :D Call me out on them. If I don't have a legitimate reason for them, I'll edit it if I can.

**Question of the Chapter**: I'm Canadian, so where's everyone here from? :D Also, any good book recommendations that aren't YA? Mainly because I've read almost all of them and I'm moving into more adult literature now... not smut, guys. I haven't read 50 Shades of Grey either. Bondage makes me cringe. Sorry.

PS. While I'm on the 50 Shades of Grey note, someone PM'd me whether there would be smut in my story. I'm stating now that there will be no lemons, nor will I ever write a lemon here. Firstly, I'm in my last year of high school. And a virgin. Yeah, sure. I've read tons of them (oops, was I supposed to reveal something like that?) but writing one? God, I'd be so awkward.

***WARNING: M-RATED SCENE BELOW***

_"Oooh, harder." She moaned, feeling his length increase in speed as he thrust inside her. _

_He grunted._

LOL that last line made me laugh. That's , I feel kind of dirty now. Like I masturbated in public or something... Just so we're clear, _I'm never writing anything like __that again._

And also, graphic sex between Tessa and Will? C'mon, guys. I just can't see it. They are way too proper. Now if we move into the TMI universe, I think I can see Jace and Clary being... experimental.

Regardless, I'm on a tangent. I apologize that you had to read my inner thoughts. That was just my word vomit.

Review and send some love :)


	5. Pride: Part 1

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Note: **I'm so sorry for not updating sooner, but I'm just going to tell you now that when I wrote this chapter, it was almost 16 000 words long. Which is why it took me a while. And because of it's length, I split it up into two parts because it has such an elaborate plot. I felt like I was writing an entire story :S Plus, I had to cut it down a bit because I had to focus on the most important parts.

If you don't like Magnus-Tessa interaction, I have nothing to say to you. Both parts of "Pride" have a heavy Magnus influence in it. Don't get me wrong, there's lots of WillxTessa, but there's also a lot of banter between Magnus and Tessa. You'll even get glimpses of a Magnus-Will bromance. Hooray for bromances :)

I start senior year on Tuesday (wish me luck). While I did finish the second part of "Pride," it'll be posted in about maybe a week? :) But after that, Chapter 7's "Sloth" may come later because I'll be starting my applications to university (wish me luck again?). I honestly going to be a nervous wreck until I get my acceptances. So if you don't hear from me, I'm so so so sorry. I'll update when I can and I can promise that this story WILL be finished.

I've also decided to stop with the Alice in Wonderland quotes. They just take up too much damn space.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Songs:**

_Munich - The Fray_

_Sooner or Later - Mat Kearney_

_The Adventure - Angels & Airwaves_

PS, listen to these songs. They are amazing. :)

* * *

**CHAPTER 5: PRIDE**

**PART 1**

"Underground fighting is despicable. Never before have I seen such repulsive behaviour." A man with icy blue eyes and fair brown hair closed his newspaper in disgust, shutting the pages on an article on the underground fighting in New York.

A young man sat on the couch beside his father, saying nothing and looking forward with a blank stare.

"Such prosperous times! The world need not this despicable, violent entertainment." The older man continued, a look of pride on his face. "This bank shall hold until you have grandchildren, Gwilym. You will manage the firm with such accuracy, such knowledge, that no others will be able to compete. Only the best from my bloodline."

Again, the young man named Gwilym said nothing. Not that the man beside him cared, Gwilym's father enjoyed listening to the sound of his own voice and did not once mind the one-sided conversation.

"Ahh, yes. Prosperous times, indeed." His father stroked his light-coloured moustache contemplatively. "And you shall be married to the cream of the crop. A lady of excellent breeding. Much like that Miss Lovelace, am I right?" He nudged his son playfully, who gave him a withering glance before settling back into an unfathomable expression. His father hadn't even acknowledged his son's earlier aggravated expression. "Yes! Miss Jessamine Lovelace will be thrilled to be courted by you." Surprisingly, Gwilym's father noticed that this time, his son was saying nothing. "If you don't start showing more interest in women, I'm going to be worried of your sexuality. Although your sexual escapades in the night have proven otherwise."

With a heavy sigh, Gwilym stood up off the couch and shrugged his father's large arm off his shoulder.

"I'm going out." He said curtly, before pulling on a hat at the cool spring breeze.

"You aren't travelling to those speakeasies, are you?" His father demanded, worried about how his own reputation would appear if his son was spotted at the forbidden speakeasies. Prohibition was putting a damper on the entertaining, carefree days. But as the owner of a reputable bank, the man could not be seen within a ten mile radius of the scandalous speakeasies.

"I'm only going to scope out heavily intoxicated women with tasteful choice in men." Interestingly enough, this was the only way Gwilym could get his father off his back, to make it appear as if he were sleeping around. And his father also approved that he was nothing more than an intelligent candidate for owning a bank firm, who also whored around. Gwilym couldn't decide whether he was more disgusted with his father's priorities and morals, or his father himself.

"Just like your old man." His father laughed. "But you'll have to settle down sometime. You'll need an heir when you take over our bank firm."

The only response was the quick, but reverberating echo of the slam of their quivering front door.

**xx**

"My God. What have you found?"

Tessa groaned, hearing an all too familiar voice ringing in her ears. This slipping into unconsciousness before every new universe was starting to take a toll on her. She didn't want to sleep for how many hours; Tessa preferred to just leap right into the next universe. Of course, Will's subconscious chooses to knock her out first.

"No! Chairman Meow, she is _not_ meant to be cat food!"

A sharp pain rippled up her arm. Tessa's eyes lids flickered open at the sensation and shot up. She saw a small cat having bit small holes into her arm. Her heart rate immediately slowed when she realized she wasn't in need of immediate care.

Glancing up, she saw none other than Magnus Bane, in quite the interesting style of clothing.

"Magnus!" Tessa cried joyfully. Maybe he had finally discovered a method of communication.

He shot her a quizzical glance, his dark hair falling around his face as Magnus cocked his head to the side. "How do you know my name?" He asked curiously.

In her mind, Tessa cursed in a way that would have made Will and Jem shocked, yet highly amused. This wasn't the real Magnus. Just projection Magnus. The only real person was Will. And even then, not really.

"I'm sorry," Tessa apologized. "I-"

"I knew this would happen." Magnus suddenly brightened, bending down to gather his cat in his arms. "I dreamt that a beautiful lady would be found lying somewhere, who would know my name and require my assistance." _He wouldn't have sounded crazy at all in reality, but this was a world full of mundanes... wasn't it?_ Tessa guessed that perhaps some of his warlock abilities transferred over to this. However, Tessa believed that fortune telling was [not] one of Magnus' many talents. "I apologize for Chairman Meow. He hasn't had his lunch yet. Do you have anywhere to stay?"

His subject changes were making Tessa dizzy. Blinking rapidly, she nodded and smiled kindly. No one had hurt her in Will's subconscious, right? Magnus would be a trustworthy companion?

"Now since you know my name, what is _your_ name?" He inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Tessa," She replied softly. "Tessa Gray."

She swore she noticed a spark of recognition in his green eyes, before it quickly diminished into nothing more than a passing thought. Interestingly enough, Magnus was mundane and his eyes were just a brilliant shade of fresh green grass. Other than the missing vertical pupils, Magnus was still Magnus. But different clothing.

"What year is it?" She inquired timidly.

Magnus raised an eyebrow and reached out a hand to help her to her feet. "It's 1929. Prosperous times. Have you hit your head too hard?"

Tessa chose to ignore that comment as she took his gloved hand. Standing on her feet, she noticed the strange clothing she was wearing. It felt scandalously revealing and she tried not to grimace. The dress she wore exposed her shoulders and her arms, which she was used to. But the dress was almost form-fitting and made of much flimsier material than her regular attire. The dress also stopped just above her knees and Tessa wanted to desperately cover her ankles. People walked by across the streets and she saw that they were all wearing similar styles of clothing. It was even worse than her nightgown back in reality.

"Are you alright?" Magnus asked, entertained by her discomfort.

"What am I wearing?" Tessa asked incredulously. She really didn't care at the moment that Magnus thought she was crazy. She just wanted to know if this was what she was to wear. And how did Will even know what 1929 would be like? None of this made any logical sense to her.

"A flapper. An expensive one as well. You aren't familiar with this era's fashion?" He replied, satirically.

Tessa made a sound that was a cross between a growl and a huff of irritation.

"Are you a time traveler?" He asked suddenly, his green eyes unnervingly excited. Quickly composing himself, Magnus maintained a more professional tone. "If you are, you can trust me. I wouldn't give you away."

She didn't say anything, only patting her dark brown hair, noticing that it did not flow down her back in waves anymore, but rather, her tresses were curled and woven tightly into a small bob. _This can't be accurate. Will hasn't even lived in the 1920s yet._

"Yes." She agreed reluctantly to Magnus' question, hoping she wouldn't regret her decision. "I'm from 1878."

"Get out of town!" His mesmerizing emerald eyes were wide saucers. "So there's the reason behind this all. You must feel... well, exposed."

"Yes, well, that is an understatement." Tessa spoke dryly.

"Let's go back to my place, shall we? I'm a doctor, so I can bandage up that bite for you. Chairman Meow doesn't really understand the correct etiquette for greeting strangers yet." Magnus grinned widely, taking Tessa's slender hand in his and wandering off to the unknown. "You can stay with me if you'd like."

"Chairman Meow?" Tessa frowned, feeling a strange sensation of familiarity wash over her, but she couldn't quite figure out what it was.

"Like Chairman Mao."

"Pardon?" Tessa was completely lost.

"Politics of the 1950s." Magnus waved his hand nonchalantly.

"1950s?" She repeated, not believing her ears. That was thirty years in the future from the 1920s, which was the era they were in. And suddenly, Magnus knows of the politics in the 1950s.

"Yes, well technically, Mao is already wreaking havoc across China, but that's another story for another day."

Grasping to formulate a proper response, Tessa found that her mind came up blank. Unfortunately, an automobile chose that moment to rush by, causing Tessa to shriek, her heart racing like a bullet and the adrenaline preparing her for a fight-or-flight response.

"Automobiles," Magnus replied dreamily, continuing to tug her along. "Aren't they magnificent?

She just knew she was going to die of cardiac arrest.

**xx**

"Careful, honey. The tea is still quite warm," Magnus informed, not even turning to face Tessa, who had just burnt her tongue on the chamomile tea he brewed for the two of them.

Grimacing, Tessa sought the comfort of a cool glass of icy water, hoping to soothe the tender flesh in her mouth. At the same time, she admired Magnus' vast collection of fine China and glassware. Everything in his home appeared expensive and posh.

Once she had set foot through the threshold into what appeared like a quaint, medium-sized home on the edge of town, Tessa had been greeted with a dazzling glass chandelier that gracefully hung from the ivory coloured ceiling. The artificial light had danced off the tiny crystals, reflecting against the rest of the entry hallway to create minuscule rainbows. Almost immediately, the aromatic scent of various sweet spices had drifted into the air; Tessa had recognized the aroma as the scent of both pumpkin spice pie and apple cinnamon pie. Inhaling deeply, she had been wrapped in the homely warm smells of autumn and dessert pies. She had shivered in delight.

"Everyone says that the prosperous times are never going to end," Magnus was ranting in the background, making himself tea with his back to Tessa. She could almost see him rolling the emerald eyes of his. "I guarantee you that by the end of October, the stock market will crash. Wall Street can't last forever. Those ignorant fools believe themselves to be omnipotent; thank God I withdrew my savings from them. My intuition has never been wrong yet."

"The stock market?" Tessa asked slowly, knowing for a fact that whatever this financial market was did not exist in her time period.

"Oh, yes. It's a newer development; people can invest their finances into companies. Ever since the Great War, people have invested; their investments have drastically increased in profit since the beginning of this decade. That's how I made enough money to last me the test of my life." He smiled, thrilled at the prospect of being financially stable until he died. "However, this can go the other way and it can drastically diminish their finances. This hasn't happened yet but I believe that society will face another hardship. I guarantee you that New York's economy will take a face plant in the near future."

She tried to wrap her head around the odd new aspects of being in a universe that takes place in New York, 1929. Tessa had used to live here before, but estimating from the current year, that would've been over half a century ago. Meanwhile, not only was there a method in which you could get rich quickly, but there was a whole elaborate network of people operating this financial statement. She saw expensive clothing and vehicles out the window. Not one had Tessa noticed a homeless person, which was peculiar. Everything seemed to be set into a perfect, picturesque bubble.

Yet Magnus was speaking of that bubble bursting in the near future.

"Magnus... can you... predict the future?" She asked, half thinking he might just be insane, while the other half of her believed there was some kind of truth in his words. There was never a time she didn't trust Magnus, even to the point of believing the Magnus that currently resided in Will's subconscious.

Taking a sip of his green tea, Magnus shrugged. "I'm no soothsayer. I'm just a doctor who works at the local hospital with an intuition that has yet to fail me." Giving a small chuckle, Magnus gazed curiously at Tessa. "I was pretty spot on about you, don't you think?"

Her lips pulled up into a smile. "You're really not going to reveal that I'm a time traveller? Most people would."

"I'm not like most people, Miss Gray."

"No," She replied softly, her chest clenching unbearably at the thought of the real Magnus, somewhere back in the real world. "I suppose not."

"Is your arm alright?" He questioned, worried that the bite wound may have caught infection.

Glancing down, Tessa had forgotten all about Chairman Meow's bite. It would leave an interesting looking scar later, but otherwise, the bite didn't hurt. Magnus had done a good job of applying some sort of liquid to it, but wrapping a bandage around it. Despite Chairman Meow being small cat, he had quite a large bite.

"It's alright, Magnus." She smiled gratefully. "Thank you. Truly. For everything."

"It's not a problem. I'm a magnet for damsels in distress." He smirked, before watching her for a couple seconds more. "I think we should get you used to our Roaring Twenties. And I have the perfect place tonight to get a taste of it."

An excitement bubbled up within her as she tried to fight a smile. Unsuccessfully, Tessa's grin widened and she thanked him again. She desperately hoped that Will would be wherever they were planning to venture off to. Spending time with Magnus was great, but she couldn't get distracted. Tessa knew what her purpose was here.

And never once had Magnus interrogated her on the reason for being here.

A tingle of familiarity shot up her spine as Tessa glanced at him over her cup, as she drank the rest of her tea. A very Magnus-like smirk was on his face and his emerald eyes were twinkling and all-knowing. Was this really a projection from Will's mind? Or was this the real Magnus?

_Did it matter?_ Another voice whispered in her mind. Whoever this Magnus was, he treated her with the respect that the real one had. Not to mention that he was giving her a place to stay and food to eat.

Despite everything, Magnus didn't pry.

And for that, Tessa was grateful.

**xx**

Struggling to escape the bloody machine, Tessa stumbled out of Magnus' car with nausea clawing its way up her esophagus. He drove like a maniac and it didn't help that this was the first time she'd ever been in an automobile.

"Tessa," Magnus complained. "That was slow driving."

"I miss horse-drawn carriages." She moaned, leaning over the side of the street, panting heavily.

"Don't they have trains in your time?" He questioned, wondering how Tessa was going to be able to travel around Manhattan without a car.

"Yes, but there's no such thing as an acceleration pedal. You speed up and slow down so many times, I feel like my stomach is going to fly out of my mouth." Tessa breathed, exhaling and inhaling deeply.

"Funny you should say that. I've seen it happen." Just when Tessa was about to say something, Magnus interrupted her. "And _no_, it was not from driving. But really, that was some fantastic imagery right there." He crinkled his nose in disgust. "You're just fortunate we live close by to most of the interesting attractions of Manhattan."

Tessa merely groaned in response.

Once her nausea subsided, she allowed Magnus to lead her into wherever he had chosen them to go tonight. The place Magnus brought her to was lively and full of exuberance. Everyone was dancing, everyone was laughing, everyone was... drinking?

"Welcome to the greatest place on Earth: a speakeasy." He introduced with flourish, bowing in a grand gesture which caused Tessa to laugh.

According to Magnus, prohibition had been taken up due to the constant protests of women's suffrage communities. Now, everyone illegally drank in speakeasies, where illegal alcohol was smuggled in. While Tessa was not much of a drinker, she could appreciate from the sidelines of how happy everyone was. With Magnus' prediction in the back of her mind, it was hard to believe that all of this... liveliness would diminish soon. Magnus had said that the stock market crash would occur at the end of October this year. According to Magnus once again, it was just the second last week of October.

Next week, everything would change.

Shaking the morbid thoughts out of her mind, Tessa stood by the bar, glancing around for Magnus, who she then spotted, was dancing with another lady. Tessa bit her lip to keep from laughing at the scene of Magnus dancing in the style of the 1920s.

Seating herself at the bar stool, she was glad that she looked the part. Everyone was wearing the exposing flappers and had their hair curled tightly around their cheeks. Many had strings of beads or pearls hanging around their necks as well as bangles around their wrists. Some wore gloves, some didn't. Others were lavished with feather boas. Feeling meager, Tessa glanced down at what Magnus had called an "expensive" flapper. She had a headband wrapped around her forehead with a small, blue-gray feather sticking out of it. Beads hung gently around her neck as well. While her outfit wasn't extravagant, Tessa blended in well.

"Would you like a drink, miss?" The bartender smiled at her, his white teeth sparkling beneath the lights (which apparently, no one required oil lamps anymore).

And of course, the bartender was Will. Not as if she should have expected anything less.

"No, thank you." Tessa smiled. "I don't happen to have any money on me."

"Yes, I know." He replied mischievously, looking devilishly handsome. Not to mention that his Americanized accent was incredibly amusing. The Will, despite being American, in the previous universe had still had a British accent lacing his words. "You are here with Magnus Bane, are you not?"

"He's my... cousin." Slapping her forehead internally, Tessa reconsidered her words, frowning. She could've said he was old family friend, or very distant relative. Being cousins was cutting it quite close.

"Your... cousin?" Will inquired curiously, staring at the blatant differences between their features.

"I know it's hard to believe, but we do share common ancestry. Though his Asian heritage is unrelated to mine," Tessa said, already conjuring up that the plan would be that Magnus would be her cousin in hopes of lowering suspicions as to why she was residing in his home. Also, the story would be that Magnus' mother is South Asian while his father is European. Moreover, Magnus' father was a brother to Tessa's mother, who had married a man of European descent. Perhaps it was far-fetched, but Will seemed to swallow the idea as he continued speaking.

"He is a great friend of mine and a fantastic doctor." Will's voice held the utmost respect for Magnus. "I'll give you drinks on the house today."

Tessa wasn't familiar with that phrase but when she saw a small pink drink coming her way, her cheeks turned the same colour as the drink. "Oh, no. I couldn't."

"It's not a problem," Will winked, a provocative glint in his azure eyes. "All of them free."

Biting her lip, Tessa thanked him for his generosity and picked up the small pink drink. Bringing the glass to her lips, she tasted the swirling, mesmerizing taste of strawberries and raspberries. The taste of alcohol was barely there. It was delicious, but Tessa knew the consequences of drinking to much alcohol. It was not something she wished to experience while she had to determine how to form a friendship with Will.

An hour may have passed before as she absentmindedly thought about how to approach Will. He was flirtatious, which was expected of a bartender. Yet Tessa had a creeping feeling that this Will wouldn't enjoy her suddenly appearing eager to be his friend and find out all about him.

How many drinks had she had? Tessa stared quizzically at the seemingly third glass of pink in her hand, her wrist delicately swirling it until it was frothy on the surface.

"Hello again, sweetheart." Someone drawled beside her.

Tessa turned to see none other than Will smiling widely beside her, sipping a beer. He had changed out of his bartending attire and into the appropriate formal clothing to blend in with the boisterous, laughing men in the speakeasy.

"Hello," She murmured, taking another sip of her drink.

"Would you care to dance?"

Her eyes widened and she blinked a couple times. "Oh, no. I couldn't possibly. I'm afraid I cannot a dance."

"A lady who cannot dance?" Will teased playfully. "A rarity among women, to be sure."

"I _can_ dance. Just not any of the modern dances." She suddenly found her drink completely captivating. Meanwhile, her cheeks were burning as she felt the amused gaze of Will on her.

Suddenly, she felt Will's cool breath tickle her ear. "Let me teach you."

"Aren't you supposed to be bartending?" Tessa asked nervously.

"Perhaps. But my shift just ended." Without another word, Will pulled her to her feet and tugged Tessa to the dancing area. Reluctantly, Tessa surrendered, while at the same time, hoping not to humiliate herself any further. The 1920s music sounded from the background as Tessa stood in front of Will helplessly.

"I'll lead," He murmured again. Shivering, she relaxed into his arms and hoped she didn't do a terrible job.

Soon enough, the two were twirling and laughing as Tessa got the hang of things. The pair spun until they were dizzy and gasping for air, snorting with amusement all the while. Tessa soon noticed that both of them were stumbling; the alcohol hadn't been enough to make her inebriated, had it?

"My father's the owner of a bank in Wall Street." Will laughed heartily, his eyes glazing over from alcohol he had earlier consumed. "He doesn't give a shit about me. Only about his precious reputation. And I'm tarnishing it by being here at the forbidden speakeasy. While almost everyone comes here, my father finds it to be a disgrace. Yet, he wouldn't care if I was out with multiple women. I tell him I am, but I don't do that. I say it to get him off my shoulder. All he cares about is whether I'll be a good business owner to take over his investment banking corporation when he retires." He ranted, his blue eyes flashing with underlying resentment.

Tessa had no idea what to say. This "Wall Street" and "investment" business was all still fairly new and she didn't completely understand it yet. However, she wanted to leave Will with parting words, knowing that she didn't have the same circumstances she did in the past universes, in which she was essentially living with Will. In this one, the two were separated.

"Have you thought about telling him how you truly feel about taking over?" She asked, quietly.

"What do you mean? I want to be the owner; I just wish my father wasn't breathing on my neck all the time." He snorted, leaning against the brick wall.

"I don't think so." Tessa frowned, her internal filter was hindered by her consumption of alcohol. "You don't want to take over the business. So what do you want to do?"

"I want to take over my father's investment banking corporation." Will insisted, but his eyes gave him away, doubt creeping slowly into them.

Not wanting to push him any further, Tessa said nothing more as she leaned against the brick wall. Now she knew the reason why she believed that Will wouldn't want anyone abruptly wishing to become his friend. His father was a prestigious figure in this society and people were probably hoping to get in the good graces of his family and their wealth. Maybe even pull a few strings to help them out in the stock market.

"I just realized that I haven't introduced myself." He suddenly began chuckling. "They call me Gwilym."

She froze. _Gwilym? Had I gotten the wrong person?_ Turning her head to study his features, she knew for a fact that this _had_ to be Will. Otherwise, this man had an unnerving uncanny resemblance to Will and her judgement had been off.

"Tessa." She shook his hand, which had been stretched out.

"Tessa." He breathed, testing out her name on his lips. "May I receive a surname as well?"

"I have yet to receive yours." Tessa replied, matter-of-factly. _Angel, please let it be Herondale. Herondale, Herondale, Herondale. _She repeated the mantra in her head.

"You don't know of my father's company?" He asked, surprised, before backtracking on his words. "Wait, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to sound arrogant, but it's strange to meet a New Yorker in this fancy part of New York that doesn't recognize my face. The name's Herondale." His voice was oddly pleased that Tessa didn't see him as another way to step up the social and business ladder.

_Thank the Angel. This _was_ Will. Though his name was Gwilym_? The entire thing confused Tessa immensely.

"Well," Tessa began by pushing off the wall and pacing around. "I'm not a New Yorker for one thing. Also, I was never really into this whole stock market thing." At this rate, Tessa would become an expert at lying when she returned to reality.

"Really?" His eyebrows shot up as her words captured his attention. "Where are you from then?"

_Where am I from? Where am I from?_ Tessa panicked in her mind. She had to pretend that she had had amnesia in the past universes; now she had to say her origin.

"Uh, you know. Georgia." She winced at her choice of state; it had been where the S.S. Republic had sunk in the previous universe, which unnerved her in a way, but it was better than saying something like Tennessee. She didn't have a southern accent, nor would a southern lady wish to live in the north. Or perhaps that conflict had ended by now. Grimacing, Tessa realized that this trial would be more difficult than she expected.

"Oh," Will said thoughtfully, his eyebrows scrunching up. "So what is a Georgia peach like you doing all the way here in the heart of uptown Manhattan?"

"My parents and my brother died. As well as one of my best friends." Tessa averted her eyes, knowing she had unintentionally made reference to Jem.

"That sucks."

Suddenly, Tessa began laughing, clutching her sides unable to contain the amusement bubbling from her lips. However, a few traitorous tears of grief streaked down her cheek as she thought of Jem's and Nate's death. It was almost like feeling the loss all over again.

"Why are you laughing?" An eyebrow was raised as Will appeared to be fighting a smile.

"Most people would apologize and tell me how sorry they were for my grief." Tessa slumped against the wall once again. "I don't want their pity. It is cliché and trite."

"I'm not like most people, Miss Gray."

"I know."

The silence between the two was deafening. Will kicked at a couple stray rocks that were in his foot's immediate path.

"I think I'm beginning to sober up." He spoke at last, almost regrettably. Peering at his watch, Will glanced back up at Tessa. Her breath hitched as she noticed that his eyes were like burning midnight coals, blazing with such emotion that it was difficult to look away. "It's well past the time I should be home. Are you still intoxicated?" He gave her a sheepish lop-sided grin, knowing full well that he had been the one who kept serving her drinks.

Tessa let out a small laugh. "I believe I sobered up quite a while ago."

"Good. I wouldn't have wanted you to stumble around, still inebriated. That wouldn't have been very gentlemanly of me." Will stretched his arms up in the air. "But since you're alright, I suppose I can leave you here now."

"Oh, yes. Leave a woman in dark back alley unless she is highly intoxicated." Tessa rolled her eyes, feeling her snarky attitude make an appearance. "Your etiquette is astounding."

"Oh, I know." Will grinned like the Cheshire cat. "I'll help you find Magnus."

"No, it's fine. It's late. You should be getting home."

"Let's meet again. Same time. Same place." His lips were curled up in a very Will-like smirk, knowing and full of amusement.

Looking up at him from beneath her eyelashes, Tessa smiled. "Perhaps." She replied coyly and coquettishly. After her words, she was stunned. Had she seriously just flirted with Will? Tessa was not a flirt. The only reason Will had been attracted to her in the first place was because she was a sarcastic bibliophile. Which to this day, still boggled her mind as to how anyone could find her attractive.

He pulled open the door that led back into the speakeasy and grinned. "It was lovely meeting you. Are you sure you don't need me to bring you home or help you find Magnus?"

_Always the gentleman._

"I'm perfectly capable of those actions, but thank you for the offers. Now go home," Tessa laughed, pushing his arm playfully. Now, she was fully aware of her flirty ways. When had she ever played the coy, mysteriously beautiful woman? Feeling like she should fulfill her cliché, Tessa was tempted to just 'disappear into the night.'

"So eager to be free of my extraordinary presence?"

"Yes, your inflated ego is suffocating."

Will chuckled. "Goodnight sweetheart," He said softly, before walking off towards the roads.

Tessa watched on in fascination, watching the gracefulness of his gait. At least she had managed to build a friendship with him tonight. But Tessa hoped that she would soon get a chance to unravel this Will.

Taking one last glance at Will's disappearing figure, Tessa turned into the speakeasy, praying that Magnus had waited for her.

**xx**

He had.

To which Tessa had been immensely grateful.

Magnus asked no questions, with the exception of, "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"It was fantastic! There's so much life and pulsating energy in everyone." Tessa answered wistfully. The era she lived in definitely did not have such carefree activities. Even their galas were strict and rigid by society rules. So much had changed since 1878.

"It's one of my favourite places to go. It's almost like the adult version of Neverland; you feel young, free, and just satisfied with life." Magnus said softly, locking his front door before pouring himself a glass of milk. "It's a good thing, I suppose. The Great War had taken so many lives and taken such a toll on the countries that had participated."

"Were you a soldier?" She glanced at him contemplatively.

"No, I was just a child. However, my father was a doctor in Britain. And he had to treat the paraplegics, the amputees, the mentally insane, the dying, and all the horrifying consequences that war can bring." He winced and his emerald eyes glazed over with the appalling memories of war, remembering the haunted look in his father's eyes when he returned home.

Tessa had never experienced war, except through the battle between the Nephilim and Axel Mortmain. The loss was abundant and greatly mourned, yet she felt guilty for comparing it to this Great War that the mundanes participated in. According to Magnus, thousands had died. Thousands. Trying to wrap her head around such a number made Tessa shiver. The world was a grisly place; she just hoped that nothing like that would ever happen again. Though when including mundanes, warfare seemed to be inevitable.

Biting her lip, thinking of the trauma Magnus' father must have gone through, Tessa stared at him intently. "How did he sleep at night with such gruesome images in his head?"

"It's not easy, but he tried not to dwell." Magnus explained, quite calmly for someone who had participated in a war. "I was just a kid, maybe eleven when the war ended. I'm twenty-two now."

"Where are your parents now?"

Magnus sighed, stretching his arms behind his head. "My mother died when I was very young, while my father died on the battlefield. He had recklessly run out to retrieve his wounded friend, only to be killed himself. I lived with my grandmother until she died two years ago."

She blinked. His father had died a heroic death. Magnus truly loved his profession as a doctor as well because he always went early to the hospital and stayed later than usual. But Tessa realized that he was also trying to live up to his hero: his father.

"My parents and my brother died as well." She exhaled at last, not realizing that she had been holding her breath.

Magnus reached over and comfortingly took her hand in his. "It sucks, doesn't it? For lack of a better phrase." He gave her a smirk, though there was sadness lacing the edges.

Tessa tried to fight a smile. She had met two of the most unique personalities in this universe. Suddenly, she remembered that she had to tell Magnus something.

"So, I've been meaning to tell you that everyone believes you're my cousin..." Tessa trailed off, praying that he wouldn't be furious with her.

An expression of shock fluttered across his features, before Magnus began laughing.

"I'm not sure how believable that is, but please. Continue with how you've managed to fool everyone." He gestured Tessa to continue.

With a lively laugh, the two talked the night away, feeling the formations of new friendships.

**xx**

A week later, Tessa had not seen any sign of Will and had begun to become antsy. She visited the speakeasy on multiple occasions, asking around if anyone had seen 'Gwilym.' At first, the workers wouldn't give out any information, but at last, one of them said that he had taken a vacation from his bartending job. Her heart sank heavily at the new revelation as Tessa questioned how far she would go to find Will. She didn't want to become a stalker, but it had been a week! The other universes had never taken over a week.

_Patience,_ Her conscience soothed.

_How?_ Tessa stared longingly at the calendar, frustrated that she had no clue where Will had gone.

_Time is not on my side..._

As foolish as it sounded, Will had made it sound as if he would return to meet her again. And as any lovesick girl would, Tessa waited eagerly for a man that had promised to meet with her again. Thinking about it now, Tessa cursed uncharacteristically and wondered how on Earth she had become so vulnerable.

During the past week, her long chestnut tresses was no longer curled into a sophisticated bob, but rather hung in waves, framing her face nicely. It was too much of a hassle to pull it up into this era's fashionable hairstyles. Magnus didn't mind either; he was all for rebellion against society, even if it was as small a thing as not submitting herself to the acceptable hairstyles.

It was the early morning of October 30 and Magnus had been nothing but accurate. The Stock Market crashed just yesterday, causing chaos and pandemonium among the citizens. Possibly the world. Speculations have been thrown around that this would lead into a great depression. The economy was crumbling and people were desperately trying to retrieve the stocks they had bought before they lost everything. Up and down Wall Street on the 29th, people were swarming; desperate, fearful little insects trying to bring their lives back on track and hoping that they would achieve financial stability once again. Of course, all Tessa could hear about on the radio was how the Stock Market was plummeting at a dangerous speed. The good times were over.

Meanwhile, on the crisp autumn morning, Magnus laid back in his lawn chair, content with life, with a cool glass of fruit punch in his hand.

Tessa watched with an amused smirk through the window before closing the curtain. He had suggested that the two gain the full 1920s experience' through a trip to a special event that was held biweekly.

"It's spectacular to watch, Tessa." He smiled. "I'm sorry for being so caught up at work this past week, but I'll make it up to you tonight, _cousin_." Chuckling, Magnus slid some bills across the table to her.

_Angel_. She gasped, as she noticed at least seventy dollars in her hand.

"I can't take this, Magnus." She pushed the crinkling green bills back to him.

"You're living here with _me_, so go buy yourself a winter coat, some gloves, boots, scarves, a hat, and whatever else you want. Winter isn't very merciful to us here in New York." He shrugged, pushing the bills into her hand and closing her fingers over them.

Helplessly, she stared at the abundant amount of bills in her hand. She wasn't used to taking other peoples' money. It felt so wrong. But there _was_ some logic in Magnus' argument. _New York winters were really quite frigid._ Further, Tessa didn't know how long she would be here, so she may as well stock up on _only_ the necessities, right? As for the change, she would hastily return to him.

"Oh, no." Magnus frowned. "I can see the look in your eyes. Don't even think about buying from the second-hand store. Only the best for my little 'cousin.'" He teased, but from the determined shine in his green eyes, Tessa knew he was dead serious.

"Yes, _father_." She retorted, to which Magnus laughed good-heartedly.

"Well, you do need someone to look after you, evidently." He replied, sarcastically.

"Fine. I'll get a job or something."

"In this economy?"

"You're becoming a large pain in the ass right now, do you know that?"

"I'm going outside. You need to get some fresh air too when you walk to the shopping area. And I swear to God, if you get hit by an automobile..."

"Yes, yes. Look both ways. I'll be careful." Tessa pulled on one of Magnus thin woolen coats. It was one of those items that were so fashionable that it could look good on both a man and a woman. _Thank the Angel for small miracles._

While she had her hopes up in seeing Will at the large shopping area, much to her disappointment, not once had Tessa seen a dark shock of raven hair. Tugging the woolen coat around her tighter, she bought all her necessities and still had fifteen dollars left over. When she returned, Magnus was in the kitchen cooking dinner: Fettuccini Alfredo. Thankfully, he was a master chef as well. Raising an eyebrow at him as she entered the room, Tessa slapped the fifteen dollars onto the countertop and smiled dulcetly.

It evaded her mind how someone like Magnus in this universe was still single.

"Oh, no you don't. And that money is for tonight at the arena." Magnus scolded, slapping her hand away as Tessa tried to taste the Alfredo sauce.

"We're going to an arena?" Her eyebrows furrowed as she thought of the possibilities of where he was bringing her. _Ice hockey games? Ice skating competitions?_

"Yes." He hummed as he finished straining the fettuccini noodles and poured the Alfredo sauce on top.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" She asked, impatiently. Though her impatience was hindered by the delicious aroma of dinner. She bit her lip to keep her mouth from watering. The London of 1878 didn't have such palatable food, despite Bridget being a fantastic cook.

The two settled themselves down into the chairs at the dining table. Magnus leaned in conspiratorially.

"You'll find out after dinner."

**xx**

The first sounds that Tessa encountered in the arena were cheers. Everybody there either really enjoyed the sport or had no concept of controlling the volume of their voices. A blinding white light shone in her eyes before the arena came into view.

"Welcome to underground boxing arena, Tessa." Magnus grinned.

"Really, Magnus? This is part of the 20s culture?" She glanced around at the enthusiastic screams of those surrounding her.

"Well, technically this is generally frowned upon by the richer part of society." He said nonchalantly as the two set off to find their seats on the benches that ran diagonally down the sides of the walls.

"You know," Tessa cocked her head to the side. "Almost all the 'cultural' parts you've shown me have either been illegal or socially unacceptable."

"Where's the fun in showing you the legal or socially acceptable side of the 1920s? You get more bang for your buck this way." Magnus reasoned. The arena lights reflected in his dark forest eyes. Suddenly, the crowd quieted down as a man approached the middle of the arena with a microphone. "It's starting," Magnus stage-whispered.

"Thanks for the information." She snorted.

"Welcome to the Manhattan Marauder Boxing Quarter-Finals!" The announcer gave a fist pump to audience, who returned the gesture. "The first competitors are Joshua 'Man-Eater' Richardson and Robert 'McThunderfist' McRoy!"

"Are they serious?" Tessa turned to Magnus incredulously. "Those names?"

"McThunderfist." Magnus snickered. "There are more normal ones, but then the other half of the time, you get people like 'Man-Eater' over there."

Two people entered the arena with masks, interestingly enough. Each mask was different and only covered the first half of their faces, leaving their hair and rest of the head and neck area exposed. They almost appeared to be like masquerade masks, however, they were made of more flexible material and looked very difficult to rip off. The masks would stay on and give the competitors an air of mystery.

Soon enough, Tessa found herself engrossed in the combat sport before her after three matches. It was disgustingly cruel to be entertained by the pain of another human being, yet Tessa found it intriguing. They most like had these kind of arenas in London, but she had never found reason to go to one.

"Wait until you meet Christian." Magnus mentioned excitedly. "Christian Rodriguez. He's the defending champion." He elaborated, smirking as if he knew something she didn't. "He won the championship last year and will be playing after these two actually."

She wanted nothing more than to bury her face into a pillow and scream out of frustration. Where was Will? How would she be able to help him when he wasn't even around?

Despite all the pent up anger, it wasn't at all directed at Magnus. Tessa loved the company Magnus provided and enjoyed how homely he had made her feel, helping her get accustomed to the new 1920s atmosphere and culture. She couldn't blame him for any of this. The circumstances in this universe just happened to be more difficult to maneuver around. All of Magnus' good intentions were making it strained in Tessa's head, as she couldn't tell him her actual purpose here. Nor did she have the heart to tell him that he didn't actually exist, that they were all trapped in the head of an unconscious man.

Rubbing her temples, Tessa blew a piece of stray hair out of her face. Concerned, Magnus glanced over and asked with his eyes if she was alright.

"Yeah, just kind of tired." Tessa sighed, but tried to perk up for Magnus' sake. "This [is] really amazing though. Like a whole new world down here where everyone isn't so prim and proper." Nothing she said felt like a lie; it was all the honest truth - for once - pouring out of her lips.

The smile that lit up against Magnus' face was worth everything she said.

"Finally, Christian 'The Hitman' Rodriguez, our defending champion, versus Eric 'The Executioner' Walker!" His booming voice echoed over the overheads and the cheers were unrivalled as Christian appeared at one end of the arena. He was not only a fan favourite, but apparently good looking as well. He also appeared to be barely eighteen. A couple roses showered down from the audience, to which he caught and winked at the ladies from which the roses had been thrown.

"Also, quite the ladies' man, folks. Will our champion gain victory tonight as he has won the hearts of thousands across Manhattan?" The announcer spoke, hyping up the crowd even more than Tessa believed was possible.

"Bring him on his knees, Rodriguez!" Magnus was cheering loudly at her side, making Tessa laugh. _Oh, what the hell. When in Rome…_ She thought, deciding to join in on Magnus' enthusiasm.

"Yeah! Knock him out, Christian!" Tessa shouted, giggling at Magnus' wild gestures. Some of which were quite inappropriate. How he managed the professionalism of a doctor was beyond Tessa's comprehension. This Magnus was almost a blend of the Magnus' snarkiness and the Henry's absent-minded, silly nature. It was odd, but Tessa found that she didn't rather enjoy it.

Suddenly, she noticed the dark hair that tumbled over the mask and into Christian's eyes. It made her curious to see that Christian looked familiar. And when he began fighting, the lithe, fluid movements reminded her of a Shadowhunter. He had quick movements that resembled that of a sniper. His reflexes were also impeccable. Finally, Tessa began to understand how Christian managed to enthrall the audience. Watching this man was like watching someone almost float off the ground with swift, precise, lethal jabs and kicks.

His movements were exactly what Will looked like when he fought in reality.

It only took barely twelve minutes before Eric 'The Executioner' Walker was tangled up in knots on the ground, unable to get back up. All the other matches had lasted at least a minimum of twenty-five.

"That's the final match, folks! Christian Rodriguez, Robert McRoy, Isaac Harris, and Michael Petrova will be advancing to the semi-finals next week! Be sure to see who will be advancing to the final match of the year!" The announcer continued to advertise. "Bring your friends, bring your family..."

Tessa blocked his voice out as she became determined to find out if she was just insane, or if 'Christian' was actually Will in disguise. Vaguely, she remembered that Will had mentioned that his father didn't approve of anything he did. _What better way to rebel and hide your identity than to become a masked underground boxer?_ She silently prayed that her logic wasn't flawed.

"I want to meet him." Tessa announced, while Magnus peered at her quizzically. "Christian, I mean."

"I've met him before. He's a nice kid." Magnus appeared uncomfortable, as if he were holding back information, before sighing. "He doesn't speak much. He disappears quickly out of the arena - if you want to meet Christian, hurry up before you miss him!" Magnus nudged her forward. "I'll be waiting for your at the entrance... if you're not back in ten minutes, I'm coming to find you."

"Yes, sir." She gave a mock salute before sprinting as quickly as she could throw the mass crowd. Which actually was larger than she expected. Moreover, she was moving in the opposite direction of a majority of the spectators, like a fish swimming against a current.

Catching a glimpse of dark hair, she ran towards the man and grabbed his shoulder. He turned around, only for Tessa to figure out that this wasn't Will. With a swift apology, she turned and headed towards the back doors. Perhaps Will had a thing for leaving through the back door.

"Mr. Rodriguez!" She called out as she pushed through the nearly empty hallway. The further distance she travelled, the more Tessa was greeted with a menacing silence. She huffed angrily at having missed him and losing her chance until next Tuesday to find him.

"Gah!" She kicked a door beside her, which was loose and Tessa tumbled through falling on the ground.

"What are you doing here?" A familiar voice echoed throughout the room with a new sharp edge to his voice. She looked up only to see 'Christian's' mask was in his hand.

"Well, hello, Mr. _Rodriguez_." Her elegant eyebrow arched as she stood up and dusted herself off.

Will's expression was one of a deer caught in headlights.

* * *

**Author's Note:** And welcome to the 1920s, ladies and gentlemen (I'm pretty sure all of you are female). All the mistakes belong to me. Feel free to point them out. This chapter was so hard to write. Not only because it was originally 16 000 words long, but trying to go for historical accuracy and trying to balance this with multiple university campus tours was a pain in the ass.

Also, I wanted to thank you all for all those crazy reviews I got :O I think I got almost 20! I'm honestly honoured that you guys like this enough :) Part 2 is coming out next week :) (Which is not the usual minimum two week hiatus between each chapter. That is my thank you for all the support. I love you all.) Finally, if there was a huge flood of reviews suddenly the past couple days. If anyone is rec'ing this fic (highly unlikely), I'd like to know so I can return the favour! :)

*The sin isn't as prominent in this part of the chapter, but will make quite a few appearances in the next chapter! :)

**QotC**: Either summer has already ended for you, or is ending very quickly (unless you're in the Southern Hemisphere... where it isn't even summer yet), so share your favourite memories that you had this summer (or winter?) :) Send the nostalgia my way.

Review and send some love! :) (Seriously, I love all of you.)


	6. Pride: Part 2

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Note: **Done the first week of senior year... only 8 more months of this torture to go... here's the second installment of Pride :)

**PS**, I'm bringing back the Alice in Wonderland quotes because apparently at least one person reads them! :D If a sin has two parts (like "Pride), then one quote will count for both. Since I didn't post one last chapter, the quote will appear in this one :)

* * *

**Chapter Songs:**

_"Take a Bow" - Greg Laswell_

_"Glad" - Tyler Hilton_

_"You're All I Have" - Snow Patrol_

* * *

_ "'I can't explain myself_, _I'm afraid, sir,' said Alice, 'Because I'm not myself you see.'"_

_- Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Caroll_

* * *

_**Previously…**_

_"What are you doing here?" A familiar voice echoed throughout the room with a new sharp edge to his voice. She looked up only to see 'Christian's' mask was in his hand._

_"Well, hello, Mr. Rodriguez." Her elegant eyebrow arched as she stood up and dusted herself off. _

_Will's expression was one of a deer caught in headlights._

* * *

**CHAPTER 6: PRIDE**

**PART 2**

"It's a pleasure meeting you and you must be busy, so I'll be on my way."

His narrowed dark blue eyes softened. "Look, I'm sorry for leaving you hanging this past week. It's been difficult." The anger then returned in the form of muttering. "No one is supposed to know who I am. If my father ever finds out, he'll disown me for sure." Pressing his lips into a thin line, Will shot Tessa a hostile glare. "Did Magnus set you up to this? Because Christ, I'm not giving him free drinks anymore."

"No one actually set me up to this. I wanted to meet the incredible fighter behind the mask. But apparently all I got was a jerk." She threw her arms up in exasperation. "What happened to you?"

"Missed me, did you?" He replied, bitingly.

_If I have to deal with an infuriating Will again, I don't know what I'll do._

"Why are you so angry?" Tessa crossed her arms indignantly. "I'm not going to tell anyone anything. And the only person who apparently knows is Magnus, who wouldn't tell a soul."

"It's not Magnus I don't trust. It's you."

"Yeah, I gathered."

"Look," In a painstakingly slow manner, Will ran his fingers through his night coloured hair. "I'm really sorry I skipped out on you. I really am. The stock market was rising to its peak all week, to which my father had me working at the Herondale investment banking branch. When the stock market crashed, I had to work overtime because of the unrest that rippled through the citizens of America." He leaned wearily against the wall. "I was only able to get this night off because I screwed up monumentally over one of the stocks. My dad was livid and wanted me out of the house. So here I am."

"Under the alias of 'Christian Rodriguez?'" She asked in disbelief.

"Christian _William_ Rodriguez. I have to protect myself in some way. Of course, no one knows the middle name regardless. I have no idea as to why my father gave me the Welsh version of my name, rather just naming me William." He rolled his eyes and stared longingly at the mask. "If my father knew, he'd have my head. He hates boxing more than anything because he believes its dishonourable and primitive. Which, it is. But the adrenaline rush of being out there is fantastic."

"_Will_," She tested out, using a nickname of William instead of saying Gwilym. His Welsh name left a bitter taste on her tongue. Luckily, a small smile nudged its way across Will's lips as he heard his name in a different way. "When you said you wanted to be the business owner, you were lying, weren't you?"

"That doesn't mean I want to be a boxer all my life. This... this is just to pass the time. I want to save enough money to leave; my family is nothing like the white-picket, 2.5 kids, fed by silver spoons family that everyone believes we are." Will grimaced. "I need to get out. It's suffocating."

"Do you really enjoy this combat sport?" She seated herself on the couch and patted the seat next to her. He plopped down and leaned back, staring at the ceiling.

"No, but I'm the champion. And I love being the fame it brings me. Even if everyone knows me as Christian Rodriguez, I'm a champion underground boxer." Will pronounced with great pride.

_Pride._

_Now we're getting somewhere._

But before Tessa could say anything else, Magnus popped his head through the door and frowned at the two of them disapprovingly. "Tessa, are you done?"

She snorted. "I guess I am now."

"I'll wait out here. We need to go soon. You've been here for almost an hour."

_Had it been that late already?_ Tessa blinked, wondering where the time had gone. It had only felt like maybe fifteen minutes.

Stretching a hand out towards Will, Tessa stood up. He stared at her hand as if it were something foreign. "Will, it's just a hand. I'm helping you up."

"Uhm, no." He pushed her hand away and smirked, all traces of the previous sadness had been covered up once Magnus had entered the room. "No offense, but I'm not letting a woman help me up. I'm a very masculine man, you know."

"Right. How could I forget?"

Tessa smiled coyly, cocking her head to the side. "I'm meeting you here next Tuesday. I'll be here for your semi-final match, 'The Hitman.'" She mocked.

"As long as you don't tell anyone, I don't believe we'll have a problem." Will raised an eyebrow questioningly, silently prodding her to agree.

"Do you really think so lowly of me?" Tessa gasped, mockingly, before smiling slyly. "Have a good night, Mr. Rodriguez."

As she moved towards the door, Will was suddenly beside her, gazing at her while biting his lower lip. Never before had Tessa ever felt so compelled to pull Will's lip out from under his teeth. With her own lips.

"Let's meet together tomorrow. Coffee. Noon. Café Noir. 103 Broadway." He said, stumbling over his words like a fourteen year old asking out his first date, except this wasn't a date. He just wanted to spend time with someone real. Someone who wasn't interested in his wealth or social status. "As friends." He added, not wanting to jump right into a relationship with a mysterious woman.

Internally cursing himself for sounding like such an idiot, he noticed Tessa was just smiling at him. And it was sincere. It was genuine. Not a smirk. Not a silly grin. But a too good to be real, sweet smile. His heart hammered against his chest as quickly as the soft beating of a hummingbird's wings.

"Alright." She agreed, reaching up to cup his face.

His eyes fluttered closed revelling in her touch. It had been so long since he had been close to someone. Ever since Cecily died, everyone in his family were closed off towards him. Will had forgotten what an embrace had felt, as well as a light, comforting hand on his cheek.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She murmured, before hastily maneuvering around the door and back outside.

He stared longingly at the door for a couple seconds, before shaking himself out of the daze, swinging his backpack over his shoulder and exiting the building through the back door on the opposite side of the room Will and Tessa had just been in.

Meanwhile, Tessa's cheeks were flustered as she ran straight into Magnus. Sheepishly, she glanced up at him with large, innocent eyes.

"It seems you had an interesting encounter."

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Tessa shot a glare at Magnus irritably. "How long have you been listening?"

"Long enough to know that you, Miss Gray, have a date tomorrow. With Mr. Rodriguez, of all people."

"Magnus, you knew he was William Herondale this entire time." Tessa said in an accusatory tone. "And it isn't a date. We're having coffee as friends."

"Right." He said, waving off her attempts to sway him from his belief. "I also saw how adorable you guys were at the speakeasy. Tell me you aren't attracted to him."

She gaped at him. "I'm not!" She sputtered, initially trying to feign indifference but not succeeding. Instead, she used a different tactic and turned the blame onto him. "You set us up!"

"Really, Tessa?" Magnus glanced at her from the corner of his eye with a look of disbelief. "I'm a doctor. I don't have time to plot how to play Cupid."

"Yet you have time to visit underground boxing tournaments."

"Touché." Magnus raised an eyebrow at her in return. "You really are a fiery one, aren't you?"

"And you're meddling in other people's business." She countered, pressing her lips into a firm line.

"You know, you are too much work." He sighed dramatically. "You're lucky I like you, otherwise, I'd probably throw you back onto the streets, time traveller."

"I guess we agree to disagree then." Tessa smiled smugly, glad that Magnus had been the first to back down from the dispute.

"What are we even arguing about? Honestly, it's almost two in the morning. You are so fortunate I don't have a shift at the hospital tomorrow." Magnus exhaled in mock exasperation and turned towards Tessa with a frown as the two entered Magnus' car. _Thank goodness I'm beginning to adjust to Magnus' driving. _ "I really am considering throwing you out. Maybe if I throw you fast enough, you'll break the space-time continuum and you'll go back to wherever the hell you came from."

_Was Magnus this snarky in reality?_

_Yes. Yes, he was._

**xx**

Wrapped in her pea coat, a cashmere scarf, and a wool hat, Tessa walked down the streets of Manhattan towards Café Noir, where Will had promised to meet her. Hopefully he'd keep his word. The chilling autumn wind made the blood rush to her cheeks as her skin felt the first touch of winter approaching. Even a couple snowflakes fell gently from the sky, landing on her nose. She scrunched up her nose, feeling the melting snow tickle the tip as she rounded the corner and entered Café Noir.

"A seat for... one?" A barista asked, smiling.

She had been to a different café the previous week but all she had to do was order at the front and sit down wherever was available. Apparently, this place was much fancier.

"Um, I'm actually meeting someone here. So..." Tessa trailed off, not knowing what to do. She still wasn't completely adjusted to this newfound culture she had to assimilate into.

"Mr. Herondale?" The barista asked, lending Tessa a prompt.

"Yes, actually!" Tessa beamed at Will's name. "My name's Tessa Gray."

"Mr. Herondale has been expecting you." The woman winked cheekily, causing Tessa to blush furiously. "Please follow me."

She followed the barista to a more secluded area of the restaurant and finally reached a table, seeing Will dressed up in clothing that wasn't as formal as the suit he wore the night at the speakeasy; however, it was still very formal. Tessa thanked the Angel that she had bought three dresses in addition the one she had automatically been wearing as she awoke in this universe.

"Tessa." He breathed, taking in her beauty. Her delicate flushed cheeks made him swallow nervously.

"Good afternoon, Will." She smiled, before the two began to delve into light-hearted banter. However, the conversation took a deeper turn when Will mentioned how constricting it felt for him to live here and that's one of the reasons he continued to box. He made a lot, considering that he was the champion.

"And what are you planning to do when you leave Manhattan?" Tessa stepped forward, staring at him intently.

"I want to be a research scientist and maybe study medicine. Like Magnus. Except that Magnus is a surgeon while I want to be in pediatrics." Will whispered. "I want to do something that matters. Not play around with people's money for the rest of my life. It's not as thrilling as it sounds, I assure you."

Her ears picked up on something specifically. "Pediatrics? You're good with children?"

"Always have been." He tried to smile, though it turned out more to be like a grimace. "When my little sister, Cecily, was dying of influenza, I took care of her almost every day. My father was always busy." He spat, revolted at his family. "And my mother basically fell into a vegetable state. I didn't know whether I would have to transfer her into the hospital as well."

"Is she-"

"Cee-Cee passed away four years ago. She was only ten." Swallowing nervously, Will shrugged. "I don't want anyone to have to go through anything like what I had to endure. I want to find a cure. I want to treat patients." His eyes glimmered with hope, though he released a bitter laugh. "I know this sounds contradictory, considering I hurt people for sport. However, I learned how to hit the weakest part of the human body in the gentlest way that would cause them to be incapacitated."

"Who taught you?" Tessa inquired, wondering who had that kind of knowledge.

"Who do you think?"

After a moment of thought, both of Tessa's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Magnus?"

"The man's lethal, Tessa." Will laughed tiredly, though he was glad the conversation was steering away from darker topics. "More like he has the potential to be. Magnus just knows how to defend himself but never uses it unless require. Like a kitten that hasn't been declawed yet." He smirked.

"Really?" Tessa grinned, trying to conjure up the image of Magnus boxing. "I'll have to ask him to teach me. I have yet to learn my cousin's apparent lethal skills."

"He should. You wouldn't need any men to walk you home at night." Will winked, taking a long drink of his black coffee.

"So tell me, who would win in a match, Will? You versus Magnus."

He gave her a lop-sides grin. "I'd like to say me, considering Magnus hasn't fought anyone for a couple years now. Otherwise, it would be a pretty close fight."

Studying Will's features, Tessa realized that this Will didn't act like he had a sin, though his pride shone through sometimes, primarily in the form of arrogance. However, it wasn't a very obvious sin. She had a hunch that it was about underground boxing and perhaps his family, however, Tessa wasn't certain yet.

Following another hour of banter, Will glanced at the clock. "I'm so sorry, Tessa. I've got to get to work. The stock just keeps plummeting." His eyes were tired and anxious. "I don't know what my father's going to do. He gets violent when things become stressful," Will spoke almost inaudibly. Tessa had to strain her ears to hear the last part, but once she did, shock fluttered through her. Will's father was violent? Fury melted through her veins at the thought of anyone harming Will.

As both Tessa and Will stood up, she wrapped his arms around him, startling him so much that his hand shot out to the couch behind him, steadying the two of them.

"What is this?" Will asked, perplexed with his eyebrows furrowed.

"This is what we normal people call a 'hug.' It's meant for emotional or even physical comfort."

"Yes," She could almost see Will roll his eyes. "I'm well aware of what an embrace is. But I'm asking _why_ you are embracing me?"

"For emotional support. But evidently, I can see you're all better now." Tessa snorted, satire wrapping around her words and drowning it like syrup. Lately, she had become a snorting fool. It was so unbecoming of her.

"Well... thanks." He lightly embraced her back and suddenly gripped her tighter. Smiling against his shoulder, Tessa tightened her hold around his torso. Relishing in the couple moments, Will released her and paid for the bill. The pair walked outside and Will held the door to his vehicle open for Tessa.

"Thank you kindly." Tessa laughed.

"Of course, sweetheart." He chuckled, closing her door and hopping into the driver's seat. Starting the engine, he began on the road to drop Tessa off and then off to Wall Street. Once the two reached Magnus' home, Will opened the door once again for Tessa.

Smiling kindly, he bent down to kiss the back of her hand, gazing up at her from beneath his long, dark eyelashes. Her breath hitched in her throat and Tessa mentally grimaced as she was sure that her cheeks were the colour of ripe tomatoes.

"Thank you for the lovely lunch. After my match on Tuesday, meet me by the rooms where we met last time." His smile radiated happiness and Tessa felt her chest constrict with overwhelming emotions, though she hid it with a witty comment.

"Why is it that you never ask me if I want to me you?" Tessa teased, poking his arm playfully. "'Tessa, let's meet here again tomorrow.' 'Tessa, let's meet at Café Noir.' 'Tessa, let's meet on Tuesday.'" She mimicked his words. "What if I don't want to meet you?"

Will raised an eyebrow at her rant. "You wouldn't be here right now if you didn't want to meet me, would you?"

Tessa opened her mouth to disagree, but quickly shut it as she realized Will was right.

With another smug, lop-sided smile, Will hopped back into the driver's seat and started the engine again.

"I'll see you Tuesday!" He waved cheekily before driving off.

_Stupid, smug bastard._

**xx**

Tuesday night could not have come any later. Tessa was literally counting the seconds before the semi-finals of the Manhattan Marauder Boxing Tournament. During the rest of the weekend, as well as Saturday, she spent her day reading novels in the living room, learning to make Fettuccini Alfredo, and taking walks throughout Manhattan, staring on in wonder of just how different the 1920s were. Eventually, Tessa began to distract herself by watching Broadway musicals as well as some black and white films in the theatre. The technology stunned Tessa as she remembered how Magnus had once spoke about the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution, sparking advancements in technology.

When the night finally arrived, she was acting like a little girl on Christmas Day. "Guess what day it is?" Tessa tried to contain her excitement and ask him nonchalantly, however as she tugged Magnus along towards his car, he saw right past her façade.

"It's Wednesday, isn't it?" Magnus was screwing with her, of course. "That means I have a dentist appointment. You're so considerate, Tessa. Always thinking about my dental health."

"As much as I love you and your dental health, I promised Will I'd be there."

He rubbed his eyes and groaned. "I've created a monster."

"I thought you enjoyed watching?"

"I'm a twenty-two year old man, Tessa. Yes, I enjoy watching men beat each other up. However, I don't enjoy going to the tournaments to stalk a seventeen year old boy." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"If we're late-"

"We won't be late, Tessa. We're almost half an hour early and it only takes fifteen to drive there." He glanced at his watch before running his fingers through his dark hair, questioning how Tessa was so eager to see the boy she wasn't even dating.

_"Just friends," She'd say._

_'Just friends,' my ass._ Magnus thought, rolling his eyes. However, he was happy for Will. He needed someone considering how messed up his family was. Though Magnus couldn't help but worry about whether Tessa would return back to her time period or not...

The two of them entered the arena only to fine that it was packed and there barely any seats left.

"You said we'd be fifteen minutes early..." Tessa muttered, analyzing the benches for two empty spits adjacent to one another.

"My watch apparently stopped working half an hour ago." He replied with no remorse whatsoever. "So technically, we missed the one out of the two rounds."

"Magnus!" She moaned quietly. However, Tessa couldn't find any negative feelings she felt towards Magnus, who had been working double shifts at the hospital these past couple of days. He was exhausted and sleep-deprives, causing Tessa to feel guilty for making him drive her here. Reaching up, she lightly touched the dark shadows beneath his eyes, instantly regretting her selfishness earlier. "We should just go back. You need sleep."

Squeezing his green eyes together, Magnus shrugged. "I appreciate your concern, but I think we have more things to worry about." He held her shoulders and spun her to face the other direction, where a man was limping off the arena, while another was walking fine. Peering closer, Tessa realized that Will had just had his match, but his face was distorted with pain. He was clutching his arm.

"Magnus." She whispered.

"That's what I'm here for." He replied back, snorting.

"Christian!" Tessa called out with Magnus trailing behind her. She was using his stage name to prevent attracting any more attention than she actually was. "Chris- mmph!" A hand clasped over her face as the man hissed in excruciating pain.

"Stop calling my name." Will answered wearily, dropping his good hand and releasing Tessa. He was trying to ignore the excruciating pain running up and down his right arm.

"Angel, what happened to you out there?" Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the true nature of his right arm. Dangling limply at his side, the forearm was splotched with dark purple bruises and was larger than usual.

"Nothing, I'm okay." He reassured unconvincingly.

"Are you seriously thinking we're just going to let you walk off without driving you to the hospital?" Staring at Will incredulously, Tessa watched his pride take over again.

"I don't require any of your assistance." He began turning away and walking in the other direction, but Tessa moved in front of him placed both of her hands on his cheeks, caressing his face gently.

"Let us help you," Her soft voice was mesmerizing and lulling.

In his dark azure eyes, Tessa watched a raging battle occur between his need to take care of himself and his body's cry for medical attention. At last, his tense posture relaxed. Offering him a small smile of reassurance, Tessa brushed those dark locks that constantly fell into his eyes.

"It was foolish. I got distracted for a second at the wrong place, at the wrong time. That 'Bonecrusher' asshole was true to his word." Will grumbled, not wanting to admit that someone finally hurt him. "I think I broke my arm." He sighed, his barriers crumbling. How did Tessa manage to destroy his stubbornness in a matter of seconds?

"Due to the unnatural angle of your radius and ulna, as well as the bruising and swelling, I'd have to agree, Herondale. Also, it's dislocated. How the hell did you manage this one?" Magnus affirmed, leaning down beside Will and taking his arm. "This is going to hurt. A lot." Taking the upper part of his arm, Magnus pressed it backed into its socket.

Will released a small cry of pain, hating that he was demonstrating weakness in front of Tessa. He smiled weakly at her. "You should see the other guy. I still won with a dislocated and broken arm."

Shaking her head, Tessa sighed. "How are you going to explain this one to your father?"

"Shit." He swore, before launching off into a string of more colorful vocabulary ad Magnus straightened his broken arm and created a homemade sling out of some gauze he had found in the room. "Maybe I can hide it."

"Will, you can't disguise a broken arm. Maybe you can with those small bruises you go home with, but this is a much larger injury than a minuscule bruise." She argued, knowing that his pride wouldn't let him acknowledge the pain for this, nor would he tell his _equally_ prideful father that he was an underground boxer.

"Then, I don't know." Will fumed. "Sports accident? Mugged on the streets? Fell out of a tree after saving a kitten? Honestly, he'll kill me regardless of how 'noble' the deed I performed was."

"You're only going to make it worse if you keep thrashing your arm," Magnus warned, giving him a warning look. "I need to get you to the hospital immediately."

"You need to tell him." She grasped his good hand tightly in hers.

Will released a bitter laugh. "Not that it will matter anyway. Everyone will recognize my face at the hospital and call my father immediately. He's going to chew me out terribly."

"Your father wins the worst father ever award," Magnus remarked, his eyes angry how Mr. Herondale could instigate so much fear in Will's heart.

"That's an understatement." Will replied quietly.

Tessa said nothing more. But rather, she continued to hold onto his hand. And judging by the expression of gratefulness across his alabaster features, Tessa knew that just being there meant the world to him. Even if he was usually too stubborn and prideful to receive help from others.

Once the three arrived at the hospital, Tessa paced around the waiting room, unable to control her anxiety. She knew for a fact that his father was here, talking to him as well. It took all her willpower to not enter in after Mr. Herondale and give him a piece of her mind, knowing full well that he was probably giving Will the worst scolding of his life. But would he do it in such a public place, with so many witnesses? After considering this briefly, Tessa knew that Mr. Herondale wouldn't think of it as humiliating himself, but more of humiliating his son.

After two hours of anxious pacing, the colorless, white shades of the hospital walls and the acrid smell of antiseptic began to affect her, making her stomach churn. She hated hospitals. She hated infirmaries.

It reminded her of Jem and Will all over again.

She missed the real world. Not only were the lines beginning to blur between Will's subconscious and reality, but her emotional levels were fluctuating by every universe. Tessa was becoming exhausted running through these elaborate set-ups, feeling her limbs tire. How was she supposed to correct his pride? This Will was also stubborn as hell and he wouldn't allow help from anyone. From what Tessa had gathered, Will was used to taking care of himself and others, which is the cause of his arrogant attitude. Exhaling deeply, she fixated her line of vision on a small painting on the wall.

_The Seven Deadly Sins and the Last Four Things. Hieronymus Bosch. Circa 1500._

_How appropriate_. She thought dryly. With a couple strides forwards, Tessa began to study the circular depiction of the Seven Deadly Sins. She turned her head sideways to see the image for pride. A repulsive-looking demon was holding a mirror in front of a woman, as she opens a small dresser. She was admiring herself, believing she must have been lovely. Yet no one who know the truth as her head was hidden by a fine white cloth.

The painting didn't really help at all with her dilemma.

"Tessa, he's alright." Magnus called loudly from across the hallway. As quickly as she could, Tessa maneuvered around the various medical equipment scattered throughout the hallway until she arrived at his cot.

"Hi." Will replied weakly, but brightened considerably and began taking on an expression that demonstrated that he wasn't in any pain.

"Hi." She answered quietly. "How's it feel?"

"Good as new." He grinned. "I'll be able to compete on Friday at this rate."

Tessa was silent for a couple moments. "You're not serious, are you? You can't compete with a broken arm."

"And why not?" He taunted her with narrowed eyes.

Rubbing her temples, Tessa knew that the animosity regarding his prideful nature was going to flare up once again.

"It takes longer than a couple days for a broken arm to heal." Magnus instructed firmly. "You cannot fight with such an injury. You'll need to withdraw."

"Withdraw?" Will's voice was indignant. "I'm not withdrawing anything. All I need is this championship before I can buy my way out of here."

"Lower your voice." Tessa said gently, knowing that other patients were watching the soap opera that was about to unravel close by. "We're just saying that you to take into consideration your own health."

"If you need money, you could've just asked." Magnus had been unaware of his true intentions for competing in the underground boxing arena. "You're one of my closest friends and I'd lend you some."

"I don't need your money, Magnus." He spoke with a determined tone. "I've gotten so much cash from just fighting these past two years. I'm not giving it all up so I can lose the championship _and_ my way out of Manhattan."

"You're going to hurt yourself even more." Tessa pleaded, knowing that she would resort to begging if she'd have to. "I can't watch you do this to yourself."

"Then you don't have to watch. You can stay home like a nice girl and read a novel or cook dinner."

His stereotypes made Tessa furious. "You're an idiot! You're going either ruin the healing process in your arm or destroy your other arm. How can you be so thick-headed?"

"I don't need you to babysit me, Tess. You should go home now."

"Really? A what about you?"

His expression immediately hardened. "What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean. Your father was in here earlier. What did he say?" Her voice softened, not wanting to provoke him, though it was a futile effort.

"He was mortified, of course. Told me that if I wasn't able to properly carry the Herondale name, I shouldn't be a Herondale." Will looked away but Tessa saw the shimmering quality of his glassy eyes. "Then he disowned me." His voice had been so quiet that Tessa almost thought she imagined it.

"Will-"

"Don't. I don't want your pity." He said dangerously, leaning back into the cot.

"And you're still going to continue with the tournament, with no home?" Tessa shouted, trying to get the idea through Will's thick skull that he needed their help and he would be risking his health if he were to be participating in the finals.

"Yes, I am!" He shouted back, clenching his teeth.

"Reality check. You're letting your pride cloud your judgement, Will!" Tessa's voice increased in volume quickly, not caring whether the other patients could hear her or not. "Just like your father!" With that last statement, Tessa instantaneously regretted it once the words left her lips. It was a low blow and guilt immediately consumed her.

"Don't ever compare me to my father." His voice was deadly and quiet.

"Wait, I didn't-" Tessa tried to apologize.

"You can stay with us." Magnus offered, shooting her a chastising look to just stop talking.

"No." He growled.

"You don't live anywhere. Not anymore." Magnus narrowed his eyes, questioning how Will could let his pride get in the way of everything.

Will didn't say anything, but rather blocked Magnus and Tessa out by finding the ceiling to be more intriguing than anything else.

"Tessa, go home." Magnus replied softly, pulling her aside. Their house was close by to the hospital, just approximately two blocks away. "It's late."

"Magnus," She hissed, not wanting to leave now. Will was detrimental to his own health and Tessa didn't want to leave him in such a vulnerable state.

"Don't argue," He looked firmly into her eyes. "I'll bring him home. But you need to rest."

"So do you," Tessa retorted.

"But this is my job. To look after patients. I promise you he'll stay with us until he decides to leave."

With furrowed eyebrows, Tessa glanced down at Magnus' hands. They had become callused from the busy shifts and late nights at the hospital. In that moment, there was no one she held more respect for than Magnus. So instead making things harder for him, she nodded and squeezed Magnus' arm comfortingly. He nodded in response and went back to Will, who had been watching them intently. His gaze could have burned a hole through her coat as they followed her. Tessa tried to give him a comfortingly smile and a weak wave before hurrying out of the hospital. He was going to hurt himself terribly if he continued on with the finals on Friday. She couldn't fail him now.

As Tessa reached Magnus' home, she unlocked the front door, then locked it once again as she entered the hallway. Inhaling deeply, she caught the scent of pumpkin spice pie and she turned on the lights. Hanging her coat on the coatrack, Tessa made her way upstairs and into the shower.

As the warm water came down, her eyes began to water. After attempting to blink them away, the tears began to come down faster. She leaned against the shower wall and slowly slid down, curling up into a ball on the shower floor, sobbing quietly. Tessa didn't make a sound, but rather let them come down freely. Once she finished crying, she backed away from the wall and stood up. Getting dressed, she immediately went to bed, wrapping herself in the cocoon of her blankets.

Underground boxing was fierce and because Will didn't get hurt very often, she never worried. But now that she thought about, Tessa had seen people knocked out and break bones all the time in the boxing arena. With his dominant arm unusable, Will would not be in his top performance. The possibility of a potentially lethal fight coming his way was very high. She couldn't bear to fail and lose him. What would happen if Will died in his subconscious? Then, she would fail, right? The two of them would never wake up. In that moment, she wanted Jem to be there. He always knew the right thing to say, closing her eyes. Closing her eyelids, Tessa drifted into unconsciousness.

There, she could see his face smiling at her. The sun was shining brilliantly, which was uncharacteristic of London. She saw the bridge off in the distance as she and Jem stood in front of one another by the Thames. Tessa was back in her era's clothing, seeing Jem dressed handsomely in his regular attire as well.

"Tessa." He smiled widely, almost excited that he could see her. With that single word, she launched herself into his arms, biting her lip to keep from sobbing again.

"Jem, I don't know what to do." She confessed, burying her face deeper into his shoulder.

"I truly felt that way as well. Sometimes you just can't do anything." He replied softly, the musical lilt of her voice sending shivers up her spine.

"So I have to just stand there, doing nothing?" She looked up at him perplexingly, still in his arms.

"You aren't doing nothing at all. Sometimes, you just need to support him. All you can do is support him and suffer along with him, until he finally realizes the flaw in his reasoning." Jem spoke gently, brushing Tessa's hair away from her face and tucking it behind her ear. The wisdom in Jem's words was incredibly profound and made her chest clench unbearably. "If he ever does look past his inflated ego." Jem added dryly. There was the dry humour she had missed for so long, to which she gave a small laugh.

"I miss you." She whispered, smiling up at him.

"Shh," He murmured. "Wake up, Tessa."

A tear rolled down her cheek when Tessa's eyes fluttered open. _Just a dream_. Disappointment rolled off her in waves. _But it _was_ something that Jem would say_. Abruptly, she heard muffled voices in the distance.

"I'm alright, Magnus." Will complained.

"You are one stubborn bastard," was all Magnus said. Tessa could almost see him shaking his head in both amusement and pure amazement at Will's pride.

"I'm going to sleep." Will said, quietly.

"Good. Go. Any of the spare rooms are yours."

There was a moment of silence as something transpired between the two men.

"Thank you, Magnus." Will said, his voice hoarse.

"Why are you thanking me?" Magnus' voice was one of disbelief. "I dragged your ass all the way from the hospital while you kicked and screamed. With some choice words that I don't believe society would approve of."

"Like you care. You're just as bad as I am." He laughed, before sighing. "I'm thanking you," Will took a deep breath. "Because you still put up with my shit."

Magnus gave a small laugh. "Yeah, I deserve some kind of award for having this much patience."

Will returned the chuckle. "Night."

"Night." He paused before adding, "And don't sleep on your right arm, idiot."

"Yeah, because that isn't common sense, Magnus." Will replied, sarcastically.

"Which apparently, you lack."

"Good _night_, asshole."

"Get out of my house, you son of a bitch." Magnus laughed.

Unable to keep it off her face, a small smile curled around Tessa's lips as she listened to their banter and exchange of crude language. _Men._ She thought, rolling her eyes. Listening attentively, Tessa heard Will's footsteps as they approached her door, before stopping. The tiny creak of the wooden door opened and Will stood there for a couple moments in silence. Tessa kept up the sleeping pretense before Will sighed quietly and closed her door, leaving the room.

_Sometimes you just can't do anything._

_I hope your right, Jem._

**xx**

Will and Tessa didn't say anything to each other the next couple days, ignoring each other's existence. She dreaded the quickly approaching finals as the days passed. Once Friday arrived, Tessa could only draw strength from Dream Jem's words of advice.

Will had already disappeared as evening approached, while Tessa stayed home alone. Magnus had had to stay at the hospital later tonight and couldn't make it to the tournament. At the last minute, Tessa grabbed her coat and locked the door as she walked towards the tournament. She would support him. Whatever happened, she would be there.

As Tessa entered the all-too familiar arena, she could smell the stale scent of popcorn and sweat. It was appalling but watching Will was worth it all. Managing to claim a seat near the front, Tessa waited for the announcer to appear.

"Welcome to the finals of the Manhattan Marauder Boxing Finals! Tonight, we'll discover who will become the boxing champion. Will Michael 'Fury' Petrova be victorious tonight?" Tessa watched a bulky man appear on stage as part of the stadium cheered while a majority sent jeers his way. "Or will Christian 'The Hitman' Rodriguez remain the reigning champion?" Will appeared on the other end of the arena, as dashing as ever. "Suffering from injury tonight, will Rodriguez be able to hold his own against Petrova?"

"I love you, Christian!" A woman screamed from crowd. As a result, everyone began sending words of encouragement towards Will, who looked paler and less confident than normal.

"Kick his ass, Christian!" Tessa shouted with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. It killed her to watch this, but she stayed, determined for Will.

Somehow, Will had heard her voice and turned his head towards the audience, noticing Tessa looking uncomfortable in her seat, but cheering him on nevertheless. The guilt began to eat away at him. What if he did get hurt? He didn't want Tessa to have to subject herself to that kind of masochistic activity, knowing full well that she cared a lot for him. More than she should.

Tessa watched as the two men approached one another. Ten minutes passed and Will had held his own pretty well, shielding his right arm from his opponent. However, it was only a matter of time before he began to tire from the constant need to protect his arm, while boxing with his opponent as well. She bit her lower lip, anxiety becoming the only emotion she felt. The feeling intensified when Petrova landed a hit on Will's right arm, of all places. Her knuckles were turning white as she clenched the bench, watching him stumble back, his features distorted with pain. While Will stumbled, the man took that as an opportunity to unfairly attack his arm again, but this time, you could almost hear the bones snap again, before returning back to their original position that Magnus had initially set them in. The arena almost went silent as the man went in again, ruthlessly taking a headshot, tossing Will to the ground.

A small whimper escaped her as she tried to maintain her composure.

Fumbling to stand up, Will took a direct shot into the man's solar plexus, causing his opponent to fall backwards. Unfortunately, as he fell, the man kicked Will's legs out from beneath him, causing Will to fall on his right side. The crowd was in an uproar at the injustice that this Petrova man was hitting the Will's weakest point while he was injured. Everyone stood up, shouting at the referees to do something about this.

As she watched Will struggle to stand up again, she knew that he was going to keep going. Will was a fighter if nothing else. But she needed air. The arena was suffocating and everything began to blur in slow motion. Pressing her way through the tightly packed together bodies, Tessa ran outside, hyperventilating and taking in the clean air. She needed a couple minutes away._ Just a couple minutes before I return._ She promised, stumbling across the road to towards the lamp-lit grassy park.

**xx**

Meanwhile, Will stood inside, scanning the crowd, looking for Tessa. He watched her disappear through the door, but not before seeing her swollen eyes. This wasn't worth it. Making Tessa have to watch helplessly as he was beaten to a paste.

"I forfeit." He shouted at the referee, before jumping off the arena platform, clutching his arm the entire time.

Surprisingly, he heard cheers behind him instead of jeers of how cowardly he was for forfeiting. The audience truly liked him, telling him that he did a fantastic job and that Petrova was an asshole. A small chuckle escaped his lips as he headed outside. Thank God they weren't as cruel as many of the other audiences.

**xx**

"Tessa!" She heard her name called from behind her. Will was running in her direction; a bloody, beautiful mess.

"Sorry," She apologized sadly. "I needed some air. I'll be right back in a couple minutes."

"No, no, no, no, no, no." Will stuttered, internally slapping his forehead for being such a fool. "_I'm_ sorry. For not listening to you earlier. I'm an idiot and my arm probably needs Magnus' attention again. And I may have a concussion. But please forgive me?"

Biting her lip, she gave a weak laugh. "Oh, now you finally ask me for something instead of just demanding it?"

"Yeah," He replied quite eloquently as he brushed the stray hairs out of his eyes. "Why?"

"Why what?" She sat down on the bench near the lamp post, to which he followed suit.

"Why do you care so much?" His eyes gazed directly back at hers, wanting to know her reasoning as to why she cared the way she did. "You shouldn't, you know."

"Because you're worth it." Tessa said softly, her voice so full of conviction that left Will speechless.

"Am I?" He finally challenged.

"Never doubt otherwise."

The two were silent as they sat beneath the night sky. In the distance, they could hear the beginnings of a riot happening in the underground boxing arena. This cause Tessa to begin laughing, even though she knew none of this was humorous. Squeezing her eyes, she bowled over and her shoulders were shaking with joy.

"Why are you laughing?" Will asked incredulously, though his eyes were dancing with mirth.

"I can't believe you forfeited. You're going to cause quite the uproar back there."

"I don't care." He replied, shrugging. "I lied earlier, you know."

"And about what, may I ask?" She arched an eyebrow at him, her laughter subsiding.

"That I needed the money from the finals to leave Manhattan. I have enough. I just... I wanted to leave a champion. I wanted to be someone successful to prove to myself that I wasn't throwing away my life. That I _could_ be _someone_ and I didn't need my father's investing banking corporation to succeed in life." Will rambled on nervously.

"And your perspective of succeeding is through winning two boxing championships?" Tessa teased.

"Well, you can't deny I wasn't good at it." He boasted, before laughing quietly. "But I had an incredible teacher. A little eccentric around the edges, but Christ, I can only hope to be half as wise and influential as he is." Will stared up at the distant stars in the sky. "And he's only a little more than four years older than me."

"Magnus really is amazing, isn't he?" Tessa smiled, referring to both this Magnus and the Magnus back in her reality.

"So are you." He answered tenderly.

Immediately, Tessa looked down, feeling the heat travel all over her body. "You are amazing as well." She peeked at him from her peripheral vision and caught him smirking.

"But _you_, Tess, are unlike anyone I have ever known. Thank you. For being here tonight." He replied sincerely, his eyes the colour of the ocean's abyss. She found herself drowning in them every time she glanced into them.

With his good arm, he pulled her close against the left side of his body. She pressed her cheek gently onto his left shoulder. Leaning in, Will kissed her gently on the forehead and held her hand with his good hand. Her eyelids fluttered closed and she revelled in his cool breath, breathing in and out against her forehead.

"We need to get you to the hospital." Tessa finally broke the comforting silence that the duo were encompassed in.

"Yeah, probably." He shook his head, grinning like a fool. He laughed, his body humming with satisfaction as Tessa could feel his chest reverberating with his laughter. "Magnus is going to put me on house arrest."

"At least you'll have me around." Tessa teased, smiling up at him.

"Yeah," He sighed in contentment. "At least I'll have you."

A cool breeze flitted through the air as a hazy mist rose from the ground. It was time. The knowledge of this caused a tear to roll down her cheek as she closed her eyes, listening to Will hum, holding on for a few seconds more. He felt so real. Everything felt so real.

_You can't get rid of me that easily, Will._ Tessa thought with a bitter smile before slipping into the abyss once more.

_You'll always have me._

* * *

**Author's Note**: And now we're done with the 1920's :) Onward to the next sin! Unfortunately, I was (unfortunately) accurate when I predicted that senior year would be busy. Can I just say that I despise chemistry? So that means that I have no idea when the next chapter will be up. Hopefully within September. You might not see me once October comes around - that's when scholarship applications come out. :'(

Thank you all the for the incredible reviews and support! :) Just so you know, I read each and every one of them. Even if I don't reply back (typical me), just know that I always take what you guys say into consideration! :D

**QotC**: If you had the ability to travel into the past, what historical era would you travel to?

Personally, I would go to the Roaring Twenties! I love this era. So much. Then I'd travel to the Victorian Era, and then to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. :)

_Review and leave me some love! _


	7. Sloth

**Author's Note**: You guys probably hate me so much right now. Don't worry. I hate myself as well. Senior year has been pretty much hell. You don't know how relieved I am that it's Christmas Break. I still have to finish my hundreds of application essays. I squeezed time to shove this in and I really hope it was worth it. Please enjoy, and I apologize once again for the completely awful (but justified) hiatus.

**PS**. These songs are up on my "must-listen to" list. So go listen to them. I love them. :)

* * *

**Chapter Songs:**

_I Ain't Scared of Lightning - Tom McRae_

_I Will Follow You into the Dark - Death Cab for Cutie_

_Melatonin - Silversun Pickups_

_Demons - Imagine Dragons_

* * *

_"You used to be much more... 'muchier.' You've lost your muchness."_

_- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland_

* * *

**CHAPTER 7: SLOTH**

"We're sincerely sorry-"

His head spun with reckless abandon.

"The moment she fell ill-"

He tried to speak; words refused to leave his lips.

"Such a tragedy..."

The doctor was attempting to speak in a soothing tone, but all the little boy heard were summarized in two very brief words.

"We cannot imagine the amount of grief you must be feeling-"

_She's dead._

"No!" A young boy shouted. He tried to contain his anguish, yet how could he? His lungs were grasping for more air as he began to hyperventilate. They constricted at an unnatural speed, his throat closing up as one last muffled cry bubbled through his small lips. This was entirely his fault and there was nothing he could do now.

In some form of denial, the boy ran into the other room, hoping this was all some cruel, ruthless joke. That God was going to yank the rug out from underneath his stocking-clad feet. However, the moment he saw his sister's swollen, carmine-indigo coloured face, and her body lying lifelessly in her dwarfed bed, he collapsed forward onto his grass-stained knees. Cool tears rolling down his ruddy cheeks.

His mother sobbed harshly beside his sister's bed, murmuring in denial of how cold her daughter was and how she would require more blankets. Babbling on, the woman continued to ramble about how today was supposed to be a colder day and that her daughter should wear her brand new woolen pea coat. The one with the shiny brass buttons.

The young boy watched his mother helplessly from the sidelines, watching everything good about her crumble into mad grief. Finding the strength in his legs once more, he stood up and staggered over to his sister's bedside, uncharacteristically cursing a long string of profanities at the universe for this to have happened. _Why?_ He whispered in his mind. _The heavens should've taken me. Why didn't they take me?_

Meanwhile, the boy just knew that his father was in the other room, unable to enter this one and see his beautiful little girl freshly caught in the clutches of death.

"Liam," A timid voice peeped up from the hallway. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw his younger sister. She had always appeared slender and tiny to him, but somehow, she looked even smaller today.

He didn't say a word, only looked towards her innocence like a beacon of light. She was unaware of the true nature of how the events had led up to this day. Shivering, he wanted to quickly walk towards his little sister and wrapped his arms around her. But he couldn't. Not anymore. And this realization ripped through his chest, as swift and precise as the blade of a knife.

"L-liam," She hiccupped in grief once more. The nickname tore at his chest as an overwhelming sense of desperation and self-loathing washed over him.

"I'm so, _so_, sorry, Cee-Cee." The words were almost inaudible. A shrill ringing chimed in his ears and his vision began to blur from the furious tears that rolled down his flushed cheeks. Willing his legs to move forward, he paused beside his little sister. Hesitating. The temptation was great_. Just once more,_ a voice echoed loudly in his thoughts. _Just kiss her forehead and wrap her in your arms once more. Promise Cecily that you'll always be there and that everything will be alright._ How he yearned for that 'just once more.' Yet 'just once more' was all he needed to destroy all the love and tranquility in his life. He couldn't risk it.

She gazed up at him with shimmering violet eyes, her expression revealing that she felt the shift in Will's thoughts and demeanor. It was almost as if the entire room chilled instantaneously.

He desperately wanted to tell her that he loved her and that she was all he had left. But that was a lie. He couldn't love her. And he didn't have a single person left. Inhaling deeply to keep the fury and agony at bay, he briskly walked past her and wandered into his room.

The walls were a peach coloured cream, the colour of the outside of a cockle shell. Once the walls reminded him of the ocean where he would play with his sisters in the sweltering Welsh summers. Now, they reminded him of the gaunt, pallid skin on Ella's expression the previous night. When closed his eyes, the horrifying image of Ella's sickly face would appear behind his eyelids, eternally burned into his mind. She was telling everyone not to worry about her. [A common cold,] Ella would say, ever the caretaker. She was able to act her part, refusing to openly display the pain and suffering. By keeping the emotions below the surface, she kept them away from the inquisitive eyes of her younger siblings.

Nausea swept through him, his stomach churning and threatening to upheave nothing more than bile, as he hadn't been able to stomach a single thing for breakfast this morning. No one had been able to. The anguish ripped him open like a merciless, gaping wound. This was the first time in his 12 years of living that he had ever felt this way.

And in that moment, he wanted to die.

Dropping on his knees in despair, he clasped his hands together and prayed that God would take _him_. That God would send Ella back here where she belonged. With a strangled sob, he waited for a miracle. Any kind of miracle. Something miraculous to put him out of misery and hatred for himself.

Of course, not a single thing happened.

Why did he expect anything different?

God clearly hated him.

With his arms now hanging limply by his sides, the young boy quickly grabbed a knapsack and tossed a variety of clothing in. Grabbing all his necessities, he nearly forgot the money he had received for his twelfth birthday. It was a hefty amount because he needed a new jacket. But it wasn't cold yet and his old jacket was just fine. As he rummaged through his drawers, his dark eyes glanced up into the mirror that sat crookedly against his dresser. He observed the swollen eyes, the grimace, and all the blood having drained from already-pale skin.

Not bothering to brush his unruly dark locks, he sat down at his small, wooden desk. Pulling out a piece of paper and a feather pen, he began writing his heart out. The ink was scribbled haphazardly across the sheet but he paid no heed, not bothering with the formal appearance of the letter or his legibility. Once he had finished writing till he could write no more, he picked up the note, staring blankly at the piece of paper that now defined his life. On one hand, he could easily destroy the letter and cowardly hold himself back. On the other hand, he couldn't risk the ones he cared about. This epiphany sealed his fate.

Kissing the letter briefly, he reluctantly folded the paper and placed it on his neatly folded bed.

_One more._ The voice whispered again.

Quietly stepping out of the room, he saw his beautiful little sister, crying silently and clawing at the floor. Kneeling in front of her, he gingerly placed his hand underneath her chin and lifted her head so their eyes could meet. Her glimmering eyes met his and he was overwhelmed with guilt. Before his emotions got the better of him, he swallowing back the guilt and pressed his lips tenderly against little Cee-Cee's forehead. He hoped to convey all the love he had for her and how sorry he was to leave her to fend for herself. But it was better this was. It had to be.

"Y-you're leaving me, t-too?" She whimpered, clutching desperately at her older brother's shirt.

"You'll be safer." He took a sharp intake of breath. "Be good for mom and dad."

"Where will y-you go?" She was stumbling over her words, stuck at the crossroads between pleading her brother to stay and accepting fate, listening to her hero, her brother.

"I'll be a Shadowhunter."

"N-nephilim?"

"Yes."

"And s-slay bad things?"

A smile tugged on his lips. "Yes."

"Can I come?"

He panicked for a moment, scrambling and sifting through his mind for a way to turn his beautiful little sister down. If Cecily came along, he would be poison to her. Not to mention that she would become a Shadowhunter on top of things, which was equally dangerous.

"Mother and father need you."

"They need you too." She was becoming more articulate and he couldn't help but admire her inquisitive and insightful nature. At the age of almost nine, she understood more than anyone else her age. He glanced down at her wistfully, knowing how proud he would be of her and how proud he was now. Unfortunately, she thought the heavens revolved around her older siblings - the ones who would _always_ be there. He didn't deserve the compassion and love that radiated from her wide violet eyes.

"They need you to take care of them while I'm gone."

"Will you come back?"

He was dreading this question. "No," he whispered in agony. "But promise me, Cee-Cee. Promise me you'll take care of them. And promise me you'll take care of yourself. Please don't be reckless."

She was silent, internally conflicted and an emotional wreck. Closing her eyes briefly, she nodded her head, hoping that she'd find Will one day.

Cecily all but whispered "I promise." _That we will be reunited again, _she swore - mentally crossing her heart and hoping to die - that she would never let him go. She would never stop persevering to search for him - her hero.

"Thank you." He gulped nervously, feeling the walls begin to close in on him.

"Promise me, too, that you'll be okay." Cecily sniffled. "That you will be safe."

Feeling a tear roll down his cheek, he gave her a small smile. "I promise," he lied, knowing full well that Shadowhunters lived unnaturally short lives.

"I love you, Will." She launched herself into his arms. Hesitantly, he rubbed her back soothingly, not being able to return the words.

"Be safe, Cee-Cee." With these words, he stood up, with his burlap sack over his shoulder.

Realizing the enormity of the situation, Cecily cried out, "Please don't leave me!"

That almost broke him. How could he do this to his little sister? For her to lose both her siblings in one day.

"I'm sorry," He choked, shattered and broken. Before he could turn around and pull his little sister into his arms, he ran. He was running so quickly, as far as he could before his nerves wore him down. The tears were blurring his vision and he desperately tried to blink them away. With newfound determination, he watched as the town quickly neared in sight. The Herondales lived in a country home on the edge of town. While his father had never talked much about the Shadowhunter world, he knew where he was going.

A small train rolled by at the station and he bought a ticket. For some reason, no one questioned him. None at all. Relieved, Will glanced down at his trembling fingers, which held the next destination he was escaping to.

London, England.

All because he foolishly opened the Pyxis Box.

**xx**

Tessa awoke gradually, blinking wearily as she watched the soft sunlight enter the room. Then, she noticed two things. The first things she observed were the tiny particles floating aimlessly, illuminated by the golden rays of sunshine. The second thing she noticed was that she had woken up in the London Institute's infirmary.

Shocked, she glanced around nervously. Tessa hadn't completed all seven sins. Did this mean she was done? Hoping fervently that she had done such a great job, that Will had recovered, she quickly leapt to her feet and swiftly walked towards the sound of glass and porcelain cups clinking around in another room. As she neared the dining room, she heard the voices increase in volume.

"All he does is eat, fight, sleep, and occasionally socialize with Jem!" She recognized Sophie's voice.

"He can't keep on like this. Every day, he destroys a piece of his soul. He's _alive, _but he's not _living_." Her heart constricted at the tormented tone in Jem's. Blinking back tears, she stalked closer to the dining room.

There was a moment of silence.

"Will's always been like this." Jem finally spoke again.

"It's been six years, Jem. _Six years_." A distressed Charlotte noted softly.

"Charlotte, I've invested all my time and energy into him. I've put everything I possibly could into our friendship, hoping he'd open up to me. But he hasn't. Not entirely, anyway." A sigh sounded from the room. "I guess that means my effort has not been in vain."

"I went upstairs to knock on his door and alert him of dinner, and unsurprisingly, he lashed out. His mood swings are dreadfully hard to keep up with." Charlotte murmured quietly, subconsciously pressing against her temples in grief. "In three weeks, it's Christmas. I just want a Christmas miracle for us to be a family again."

"Have you given up, Jem?" Sophie whispered, almost as if she didn't want to hear the answer.

"No. Never. I would never give up on Will. He's everything to me. However, the time he spends alone are necessary." Jem replied with such finality that his firm tone immediately ended the conversation.

She prayed that everything before: the battle against Mortmain, Jem's death, and Will's quickly approaching death were all merely a dream. That Tessa was just awaking from a long slumber to see that everything was as it should be. At this point, Tessa decided to reveal herself to the friends that she had come to know and love. Silver eyes were the first to glance up at her.

"Jem?" Tessa asked, her voice filled with awe as she took in every lively, beautiful aspect of him. Seeing him alive was a remarkable feeling. She breathed in, holding her breath as she memorized his lovely features once again.

Unfortunately, Jem didn't say a word. In fact, his eyes were still glassy, as if he were looking up into space. No one else acknowledged her presence either.

Confused, she tried again, "Charlotte? Sophie?"

There was no reply.

"Perhaps we should bring dinner up to Will," Charlotte whispered. "He must be starving. I have some gingerbread cookies I bought from the bakery the other day. They would cheer him up."

"You can't keep coddling him. He needs to channel his grief and misery in a healthier way." Sophie replied harshly, though her eyes gave away that she held a soft spot for the lost Herondale boy.

"Please everyone, it's me! Tessa!" She said in disbelief. Her voice was gradually getting higher in volume as the panic settled in. "What is happening?" She reached over to touch Jem's hand, which was resting on the table.

He flinched and warily glanced down at his hand. "That was the oddest sensation. I felt a sudden cold air blow onto my hand."

_I'm invisible but I can interact with my surroundings,_ she thought with excitement. Reaching over, Tessa tried to hold his hand but her hand fell right through his. She gasped in surprise; at the same moment, Jem shivered and his eyebrows furrowed.

"Did you take your medication?" Sophie asked quietly.

"Yes," He replied distantly, still staring at his hand with the most comical amount of confusion. "I think perhaps I should rest. This day has been the strangest."

_The strangest, indeed_, Tessa thought bitterly. She watched Jem trudge his way up the stairs, before a determined expression settled on her face as she chased after him.

"Jem, please." She pleaded, careful not to touch him again. When her hand fell through his as if her hand didn't even exist, a chill passed through her body as well. They were not pleasant chills either, like the ones she used to get when she touched Jem.

"Jem!"

He couldn't hear her. Tessa's effort was futile in trying to attract Jem's attention. Mentally and physically exhausted, she briefly wondered if she had died somehow, or if this was another alternate universe. The latter seemed the most likely. What sin was she on? Staring down at her trembling hands, Tessa couldn't even remember the last sin. The universe-travelling was affecting her memory.

As she pondered these questions, she realized that she had still been following Jem and that the two of them were approaching a familiar door down the corridor.

Will.

Jem opened the door without knocking and called out to him. The room was dark and unfriendly, with only the exception of a single lit candle. There was no trace of evidence that anyone really lived in there, despite an unfolded blanket upon a wrinkled bed, a couple of books stacked on a wooden desk, and a feather pen that mysteriously sat on a blank piece of paper.

"Will, you have to eat. Please." His voice had a slight tremor in it, but his expression told her that Jem was frustrated and anxious. Tessa stepped quietly around Jem and into the room, out of curiosity and anxiety.

"No." Will came into sight as he lit another couple of candles, and holding a witchlight for good measure. This time, Tessa got a good look at him. His face was gaunt and his eyes were haunted. Yet, his lips still held a jovial expression and she felt the instant burn of his azure eyes pierce right through her, before they curiously turned their attention back to Jem. "I'm not hungry."

Jem's eyebrows furrowed as he persuaded sadly, "You're behaving like a child. Please eat. For me. For Charlotte, and Henry, and Sophie-"

"Rubbish. Sophie cares not for me." He was stalling.

"Then if not for any of us, eat for yourself. I know you do grab leftover morsels late at night when you believe no one is around. Not saying that I'm around, but I hear your door squeak open and the aroma of our dinner floats into the hallway. It seems the only reason you leave your room is to read, sneak food upstairs, and irritate Church." The silver-haired man leaned wearily against the doorframe, frowning at the little light in the room. Will could at least light a few more candles. "What happened to the sarcastic twelve year old boy who asked me to be his _parabatai_?"

Will snorts and fiddles with a button on his shirt. "Because that little boy was so _happy_."

"At least he made an effort to interact with people. These past few months, you've been withdrawing from us. You've never given away much of your past, and I've never asked for it. I trust you enough to come to me when you want to tell me. However, if it's affecting your health, I'm here to set something straight." Taking a deep breath, Jem spoke slowly and surely. "We are _here_ for you, Will. No matter the circumstances. But if you won't let us help you, the least you can do is pretend in front of Charlotte. She's going to have a near-stroke at your behaviour. She loves you."

Unfathomable dark blues eyes quickly turned into razor blades, glancing sharply at his _parabatai_. However, a glimmer of something Tessa couldn't decipher flickered and disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

"Well, the hour is late and I must have my sleep," Will announced, giving Jem one last undecipherable look before closing the door. Tessa watched as the door closed on Jem's worried expression and immediately felt sorrow for this universe's Will.

Deciding that she should probably leave and figure out a way to be seen before approaching anyone else, Tessa walked swiftly towards the door. Hesitant, she placed her hand on the door, feeling it disappear into the wood. She shivered and immediately ripped her hand away. There were no words to describe the chills her body got when they slipped through solid objects. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the room grow with more luminance.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

Tessa spun around and saw Will smirking at her, amused and curious. Her jaw fell and she took a quick intake of breath.

"Yes, I can see you. Apparently, Jem cannot. So tell me, are you an apparition? Wait, no. You can't be. The Institute keeps out buggers like you."

She stared at him, blinking in surprise before sputtering and laughing. He watched her incredulously. Somehow this girl found her state of undead comical.

"I'm not an apparition." She shook her head, her laughter dying away. "I'm a..." What _was_ she? "Your Christmas Angel."

"My Christmas Angel?" He raised an eyebrow before clutching his stomach and laughing hysterically. When he finally calmed down and wiped his tears away. "That was a good on."

"Wrong choice of words. There's not really a word for what I am. The closest word for it would be... well, I... I am your Christmas miracle." Tessa winced internally at using Charlotte's words from earlier. "But I am very much alive, thank you." She composed herself, internally giddy that at least Will could see her, but disappointed that she wouldn't be able to interact with anyone else.

"Christmas miracle?" He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "And what miraculous act are you going to perform."

Tessa laughed nervously. "It's not for mortal mind's to know." She then muttered under her breath, "Yeah, I haven't the slightest clue."

"Well, I'm glad you eavesdropped on Jem and I's conversation. Must have been quite the earful." Will shrugged it all off and sat down, clutching a large, leather-bound book in his hands.

"What were you talking about with Jem exactly?" She was eager to understand the context of Jem's words from Will's perspective in this universe.

"He thinks I'm wasting away in here. I'm just... it's been a long couple months."

While Tessa didn't press on any further, her ears perked up at the phrase 'wasting away.' That was a sin, was it not?

_Sloth. Thank the Angel._ Was 'sloth' not defined as laziness?

A voice spoke inside her mind. _You heard what Jem said. Will doesn't come out to do anything, except to read, sneak for midnight snacks, and other necessities._ That would mean that Will hasn't trained for a little more than a half. Something was very wrong.

"Are you like the Nephilim? We have angel blood, you know. If you really are a Christmas angel." His melodic voice broke her thoughts. Sighing, Tessa tried not to think of his voice (which made her heart flutter) and the wild possibilities running through her head of what the source is of Will's sloth.

"Almost," She replied softly. "It's... complicated."

"'Everything is simpler than you think, and at the same time, more complex than you imagine.'" He quoted condescendingly, mocking Tessa's inability to properly explain why her ancestry is twisted up.

Frowning, Tessa huffed and glanced down at the large book in his hands. _Vathek, we meet again, _she thought slyly as Will flipped another page.

"'For he did not think…that it was necessary to make a hell of this world to enjoy paradise in the next.'" Tessa spoke almost inaudibly.

At the sound of her voice, Will glanced up in surprise, before a small grin appeared on hid lips. "Ah, a fan of William Beckford, are we?"

"Yes." She nodded, unknowingly furrowing her eyebrows.

"What's wrong?" He inquired, taking in her frustrated expression.

"I don't know exactly where to go." Tessa lied, pretending to sheepishly admit that she had nowhere to go. Even though she really didn't have a place to go. "Just because I'm your Christmas miracle, doesn't mean I know exactly where I should be living."

Will blinked a couple times, before shrugging and turning around.

"Will, I need to stay here."

"Tess..."

"I don't know where else to g-" She stopped. "Did you just call me Tess?"

He opened his mouth, only to close it again. Will hadn't even asked for this girl's name and already he was calling her 'Tess.'

"How did you know my name?" Tessa stared at him, perplexed.

Equally puzzled, Will fought the strange feeling that her presence gave him. "Your name is Tess?"

"Actually, it's Tessa. But that was a incredibly close estimation."

"Oh."

The two of them said nothing. Will had yet to grant Tessa permission to roam around the Institute, but she shrugged it off and tested out sitting on a chair. Miraculously, it worked. She beamed with glee and tried to kick on of the seraph blades on Will's floor. It skittered across the wood after Tessa's foot made contact with it.

"Hey, now!" Will frowned. "You can't just kick _Uriel_ around like a mad person."

"Sorry." She replied sheepishly, but was satisfied knowing that skin contact didn't work, but if she pulled her sleeve down over her hand, she could interact with the surroundings. Grinning even wider, she did just that, and pulled spare blankets out of Will's drawers before setting them on the ground and resting on them.

"I never did say you could stay here." He snorted, narrowing his eyes.

"Be the Good Samaritan. Help your miracle out."

It was silent for a while.

"Some miracle you are." He grumbled begrudgingly. "You take the bed," Will groaned. "I'll take the floor. Angel, when did I become such a gentleman?"

**xx**

A week had passed, and the duo had become as thick as thieves, bantering with one another as they had in reality. Tessa loved the natural feel of everything. This universe was almost an exact replica of her own reality, with the exception of her invisibility. Despite that, Will had kept Tessa's presence under wraps, knowing that it would lead to many questions that he wouldn't know how to answer. Meanwhile, Tessa loved just enjoying life with Will. He watched as his sunken, haunted eyes had slowly brightened up, and colour had returned to his gaunt cheeks. He was lovely.

However, after another week had passed, Tessa began to question how easy solving sloth was. He seemed so content now. Her job was done, wasn't it?

Patiently, she would wait for the familiar mist to surround and suck her out of this universe, only to pop her into another. Nothing ever happened. Panicking, Tessa desperately tried to be even nicer to him, only to face disappointment of the nonexistent mist. Every night, Tessa would slip into bed after saying goodnight to Will, before lying awake, staring at the ceiling in despair, and listening to Will's steady breathing.

**xx**

No universe had ever taken this long. Tessa was well into her third week and she began to watch Will more closely for signs. After carefully analyzing him, Tessa realized that he was hiding every emotion he felt in the past couple months, shoving it into a drawer that sat in the dark recesses of his mind. Also, Will never seemed to be happy around any of the others. Only Tessa seemed to make him smile, and even though, Will was a believable actor. He played the role of carefree Will, while keeping up the largest wall around himself.

Slapping her forehead, she sat down in the library. How could she have missed all the signs? Will still guarded himself, and had everyone fooled that he had fallen out of that sulking 'phase.' If this Will was anything like the real Will (which Tessa believed was very close), then Will must have encountered something very serious for such a disastrous effect on him.

Gathering up her courage, she walked by the living area, where Jem was playfully twirling Church around, amusing Charlotte and Sophie with a very aggravated Church. Henry said something softly, causing Charlotte to blush and the others to laugh at her embarrassment. Smiling wistfully, Tessa watched them with a melancholy sensation creeping inside her mind, before continuing down the corridor to the colossal library that Will was surely in. It was his sanctuary, after all. And Tessa had not seen him all day.

"Will?" She called. "Are you avoiding me, Will?" Tessa teased, adding a little laugh at the end to lighten the mood.

"Please leave me alone."

_At least he said 'please.' _

"You can tell me anything, you know."

"Tessa, did we know one another in another life? Because I kept having strange flashes of memories I don't recall. One of them included handing you one of my most treasured books." As Will rambled on, his voice echoed through the large chamber. "It probably sounds crazy. I didn't believe you before about the Christmas miracle thing, but I feel like you are telling the truth in a twisted kind of way."

Wondering exactly just how much the lines between this world and reality were blurring, Tessa couldn't help but worry about how Will was grasping his actual memories. Was this advancement? Or a setback? Pursing her lips, Tessa continued walking around until she finally saw Will lying on his back and staring at the cathedral ceiling.

"Is it not uncomfortable on the ground?"

"Don't divert my attention, Tessa. What is going on? Do I know you? Are you real? Am I going mad? Am I really the reason you're here?"

She sat down beside him, her dress crumpling against the wooden floors like a soufflé. "You're asking many answers that I cannot answer. However, yes. You are the reason I'm here." She was being cryptic because she had no idea whether she should just tell him the truth. Would that mess around with everything Tessa had accomplished?

"Bloody hell," Will muttered in frustration. "Can you give me a straight answer?"

Following his probing inquiry, Tessa fell silent, searching for the answer to his question. Finally, she decided on what she would tell him.

"I'm not really an angel," Tessa spoke slowly, knowing that she no longer wanted to lie to Will. After all, this universe was as close to reality as it could get. "I wasn't lying when I said I wasn't quite sure what I was. However, I have a long story ahead of us."

"I have nothing but time." Brushing falling hair out of his azure eyes, Will rolled onto his side to face Tessa seated form beside him.

"I'll tell you..." Tessa trailed off, before adjusting the circumstances. "But only if you promise me something."

"You're bargaining with me in returns of telling me the truth?" He asked incredulously.

"Yes." She shrugged as if it were the most simple thing in the world.

"You could at least grant me the right of knowing what I'm promising you beforehand."

"I was going to tell you anyway..." She shot him an irritated expression, before carrying on her bargain. "Tell me about what is causing your unhappiness."

He glared. "That's unfair."

"Does it have to do with your family?"

Will stiffened and shot icy daggers at Tessa with clenched fists. "My family is none of your concern."

"Once I tell you the truth, you will want to it to be my concern."

He snorted and glanced at Tessa miserably. "I highly doubt that."

"Well..." Tessa trailed off, before beginning their story, hoping it would not be a huge mistake she was making.

**xx**

"That's... unbelievable." He stared at the ceiling, sitting upright with his mouth agape. "I'm trapped inside my own subconscious? Because of bloody Mortmain?" Will muttered, "Blasted lunatic."

By this point, Tessa was wary of Will's ability to have taken the news so well. So she nodded to his question to affirm his words.

"Even if I'm trapped in here... some of these memories are real. The ones you're stumbling upon." He thought out loud, nervously tapping his slender fingers against his knee.

"Remember what you promised me beforehand?" She prodded, gently placing a hand on his tapping fingers. He instantly relaxed and squeezed his eyes shut, before opening them once again.

"Did the real me ever tell you my history?"

"Your... history?"

"Yes, about my family and the Pyxis Box." Will paused before giving a small smirk. "That's the reason I was such an arse to you when we first met in reality."

"You remember?" She asked incredulously.

"The more I think about it, the more I can distinguish this world from reality. I remember the Dark Sisters. Camille. Axel Mortmain." He shut his eyes painfully. "Jem."

"Will..." Tessa grabbed his hand in hers. This was the first time that she had mourned over Jem with Will.

"When I was twelve, I was a curious little bastard." Will blurted out, and then he laughed bitterly. "I opened a Pyxis Box and released a demon into our house. My older sister, Ella, was not trained as a Shadowhunter, but went after the demon to protect me. The demon attacked her, then cursed me."

"Cursed?" Tessa was alarmed.

"The demon said that I could never love anyone again, or else they would die. Ella died the next morning and I couldn't bear it. Immediately, I left my mother, my father, and my little sister, Cecily, behind." Will slumped against a shelf. "Do you not understand, Tess? I couldn't love you because I was cursed. It destroyed me."

She was speechless. All that time, Tessa did not know what she had done to deserve the emotional whiplash she had gotten from Will. It had left her dumbfounded that such a thing had happened to a little, twelve year old Will.

Swallowing her anguish for how broken Will looked, Tessa slumped against the shelf beside him. "So why did Jem say you were acting up only recently?"

His eyes were swirling pools of blue midnight that held the exhaustion and agony for years. The loss of his sister, the loss of his family, and the future losses of anyone else he could have ever cared about. Tessa's heart clenched at his pained expression and was about to say that he didn't need to tell her if he wasn't ready.

However, he spoke in an almost inaudible voice. "I saw Cecily in the shopping areas in London a little more than a month ago. She spotted me and began to weep, crying out my name. I wanted nothing more to pull her close and whisper how sorry I was and what a failure of an older brother I was. But I didn't." He struggled to keep his emotions in check as his eyes glimmered with unshed tears. "Instead, I ran like the coward I am."

"You're not a coward, Will." Tessa narrowed her eyes, speaking adamantly.

"No, but this was all my fault. If I hadn't opened that damned Pyxis, I wouldn't be here." Will glanced at her with a sad smile. "'If she knew me as I really am she would despise me, and certainly not aid or abet my evil designs.'"

"_Vathek_." She whispered.

"I remember giving that to you, you know. It was one of my favourite books. And still is." He mused quietly to himself.

_How can I help him when he is cursed by a demon? _Tessa panicked and cursed herself silently for being so useless. If she were a full warlock, she would be able to perhaps lift the curse off him or something or other. She clasped one had over the other and felt something metal.

_The ring._ She thought in awe as she watched the emerald shimmer in the light of the nearby window.

_"I can only interact with you a limited amount of times. Three to be exact." Magnus had informed her. "To reach me, twist the ring three times. I'll always answer."_

She stood up suddenly, feeling drawn towards twisting the ring. Was it her last resort? She had completed three sins up to this point. Should she contact Magnus? Or would it be a waste? Tessa bit her lip thoughtfully and was anxious to help Will. She had to get him back. This sin wasn't like the other sins. This one was brought on by a demon's curse. _By the Angel,_ she groaned internally.

"What on earth are you doing?" Will glanced up at her curiously, through dark thick eyelashes. Her heart thrummed painfully like a hummingbird's wing, before she shook her head. Tessa could not afford to be distracted right now.

"I'm contacting Magnus."

"Magnus?" He almost shouted in surprise. His voice echoed through the room. Tessa reached down and covered his mouth with her hand.

"No one else can see me, Will! You need to keep your voice down, or else someone might come up here and see you talking to yourself."

"Sorry," He muttered unapologetically.

Pinching the bridge of her nose. Tessa sighed and sat on the floor in front of him. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath to calm herself. Gently touching the cold metal, she could almost feel it pulse with energy, compelling her to twist three times.

And she did just that.

When Tessa opened her stormy eyes, she glanced around. Nothing had happened. She wracked her mind for anything that could be of use. Perhaps Magnus would contact her through her consciousness. She searched her mind to no avail. Nothing. Had it failed to work? Was the ring faulty? Perhaps Magnus was asleep. Tessa's mind raced with some kind of excuse.

"Thank God, Tessa. I was wondering when you would finally contact me."

She spun around and saw Magnus standing there, looking as tired as ever, but a large grin had settled on his face.

"Magnus!" She exclaimed and jumped up to hug him.

"Yes, Miss Gray. It is I." He laughed softly, his vivid green eyes shimmering with amusement. "Now what exactly is the dire situation in which you felt the need to contact me?"

"Will was cursed by a demon when he was younger. Is there any way to life the curse?" Tessa asked hurriedly.

Magnus glanced behind Tessa to get a good look at Will, who was surreally standing behind Tessa and staring at Magnus with wide blue eyes. It made him nostalgic, as the only thing he had seen of Will recently was Will's comatose body, lying in an infirmary cot.

"How much of this universe is the same as reality?" Taking in his surroundings, Magnus inquired with thoughtful eyes.

"Almost all of it. I'm sure you exist somewhere as well, Magnus." Tessa shrugged.

"Well, then I should trigger your memory, Will." He narrowed his eyes at the handsome, dark-haired boy in front of him. Will had an expression of a deer caught in the headlights. "Do you remember me at all?"

Shaken out of his stupor, Will nodded eagerly.

"Good. I'm pretty unforgettable, if I say so myself." Magnus waved his hand. "However, I need you to remember a specific time. The time I raised the demon who cursed you, for you."

"What?" Tessa and Will shouted at the same time.

"Tessa, dear, you were frolicking in the meadows with Jem, I believe." Magnus dismissed. "But Will, you must remember what the demon said to you. His name was Marbas."

"I... I can't." Will groaned in frustration, his eyes were closed tightly as he tried to remember.

"The demon... Ella... the curse..." Magnus spoke soothingly to Will like he was a terrified animal. "It isn't real."

Tessa gasped as Will saw the swirling memories of that night.

**x**

_Marbas spat a curse, and turned to Will. Its snout twitched. _"The half-caste is correct. The curse was false. Your sister died because I struck her with my stinger." _ It swished its yellowish tail back and forth, and Will remembered Ella knocked to the ground by the tail, the blade skittering from her hand. _"There has never been a curse on you, Will Herondale. Not one put there by me."

_"No," Will said softly. "No, it isn't possible." He felt as if a great storm were blowing through his head; he remembered Jem's voice saying _the wall is coming down,_ and he envisioned a great wall crumbling away into sand. He was free - and he was alone, and the icy wind cut through him like a knife. "No," His voice had taken on a low, keening note. _"Magnus..."

_"Are you lying, Marbas?" Magnus snapped. "Do you swear on Baal that are you telling the truth?"_

"I swear,"_ said Marbas, red eyes rolling. _"What benefit would it be to me to lie?"

_Will slide to his knees. His hands locked across his stomach as if they were keeping his guts from spilling out. _Five years_, he thought. Five years wasted. He heard his family screaming and pounding on the doors of the Institute and himself ordering Charlotte to send them away. And they had never known why. They had lost a daughter and a son in a matter of days, and they had never known why..._

_"Will is right," said Magnus. "Marbas, you _are_ a blue-skinned bastard. _Burn and die!_"_

**x**

"Oh God." Will stumbled like a newborn calf on trembling legs. "Oh God." He clutched his stomach as he had in another life and began to hyperventilate.

"Will-" Tessa reached out to hold him, but Magnus steadied her back. "What is happening, Magnus?" She demanded. He smiled sadly and gently touched her forehead, showing her the memory as well.

She felt ill. That such a thing could happen to Will was unfair, cruel, and ruthless. She felt warm tears roll down her cheeks in sorrow for the man who was falling apart in front of her. For the suffering he had endured to keep everyone safe.

"I must go, Tessa." Magnus smiled, sadly. "I'm only here for as long as you need me. And my deed is done. Two more chances to contact me with the ring. Use it wisely." He paused, hesitating, before gathering her into an embrace. "Careful, Miss Gray. And come home to us safely."

"Of course, Magnus. I will." She brushed away the tears and held her chin up.

"Good." He gave her a lop-sides grin. "Also, Will," Magnus addressed him, leaning down and elbowing him gently. Will looked up with the face of a man before he was about to vomit. Grimacing, Magnus spoke gently. "Be reassured that in reality, you have has known this for over half a year now, and you have been correcting your mistakes ever since. And Cecily has come to the Institute to live with us. And she has forgiven you, and she loves you dearly."

Will made a strangled noise at the back of his throat, causing Magnus to pat his back sympathetically. "And Will, stop sinning for God's sake and wake up, you cheeky little bastard." With those very Magnus-like parting words, he disappeared with one last smile in Tessa's direction.

The library fell silent as Tessa stared at the trail of smoke where Magnus had once been.

Knowing she had done the right thing when she had contacted Magnus, Tessa sat down beside Will, wrapping her arms around him. He gently lowered his head onto her shoulder, and the two relished in one another's presence in silence. In those quiet moments, Will remembered everything in reality. The day he met Tessa, Tessa's engagement to Jem, their broken engagement, his feud and reconciliation with Jem, both his and Jem's last battle as true _parabatai_ against Mortmain and his clockwork devices, and Jem's sacrifice. At last, Will broke the silence with admiration in his voice.

"I guess you really were my miracle." Will smiled against her shoulder.

"Did you ever doubt it?" She teased, knowing full well that he had. An agonized lilt laced her otherwise cheerful voice.

"Not once."

**xx**

"'Suddenly, the sky put on the liveliest colours, rosier than the most brilliant sunrise. A light, intense beyond description, spread over all, diffusing everywhere a feeling of unspeakable joy and content.'"

"Hmm," Tessa hummed good-naturedly. It was a beautiful passage.

Will beamed cheekily and opened his arms wide open. "I think _Vathek_ is referring to _la petite mort._"

"Angel, Will!" Tessa flushed at his brazen speech and threw a cushion at him.

It hit him with a soft thud and he clutched his chest dramatically, moaning about his inevitable death and slowly falling to the ground. "At least I'll be able to die..." He paused for dramatic effect. "_Une petite mort."_

"You are the oddest person I have ever met."

"That you have ever had the _pleasure_ of meeting."

"Do you have to make everything absolutely repulsive?" Tessa snorted in a very un-ladylike manner. Not like she cared anymore about what was lady-like.

"Yes."

Tessa laughed softly, despite the voice in her head telling her not to encourage him. The two were sitting in the hallway as they awaited Jem to arrive home. The living room was right beside the hallway, where Will walked into and sat down. Tessa leaned against the entrance's frame, smiling at how anxious Will was.

When Will had recovered from the shock and grief of his memory, he immediately went to correct things with the rest of the Institute. Starting with Charlotte, Henry, Sophie, and the others. There was only one left. He had been out all day with Thomas to go Christmas shopping.

"I'm going to fix everything with Jem." Will brushed off his clothing. "Do I look alright?"

She pursed her lips. "No."

"Alright, get out." Will laughed playfully before rolling his eyes and pulling on a sweater. "I don't need that kind of damage to my self-esteem."

"If you ask me, you have far too much 'self-esteem.'" She replied breezily.

"No one asked you."

"Make sure to give your _parabatai_ a hug, you sentimental lunatic."

"Of course." He flashed her a wide grin, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

Jem popped his head in the living room, glancing suspiciously at Will. His cheeks were pink and there was snow glittering in his silver hair, from walking around in downtown London. He walked past Tessa, and she looked after him wistfully. "What is going on? Charlotte was singing and crying in the kitchen, when she told me to come here."

Will stood up. "Jem, I need to tell you something..."

Tessa studied him before he turned around and talk to Jem. This Will knew who she was - a gift that wouldn't occur in any other universe. She saw his dark eyes winking at her, as well as mirth and pure joy dancing across his features. Tessa would remember him like this. Happy.

The mist appeared, just as she had predicted before Will had begun talking to Jem. Intuitively, Tessa knew once Will mended his friendship with Jem, that it would be time for her to go. She wanted to stay. How she wanted to stay and pretend like reality didn't exist, that this was her reality where the Will she knew was living, in a world that was an exact replica of her own.

But she could not.

Her surroundings slowly disintegrated into the mist, but not before she caught a glimpse of Will and Jem giving one another one of those manly hugs that made her laugh so much. She accidentally let out a sound that was a blend between a giggle and a sob.

At her voice, Will glanced up and saw Tessa slowly disappearing. His eyes widened in horror and he shook his head, mouthing 'no.'

"Sorry." A tear rolled down her cheek. "Come back to us soon, alright, Will?"

His eyebrows furrowed at his expression crumpled slowly into sorrow. Her heart clenched painfully at his expression. However, Will's expression transformed into a resigned look.

"I'm sorry for everything and I love you." Will said aloud, talking to both Jem and Tessa.

"Merry Christmas." Tessa whispered, laughing sadly and waving, before she completely disappeared. She was falling once again into the abyss and it felt as if a piece of her soul had been ripped out. She watched her tear drops fall upwards as she spiraled downwards.

"I love you both too." She whispered to her memory of both Will and Jem, before completely falling into unconsciousness.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry. Your reviews have been wonderful and I cannot thank you guys enough for the support. I wish I had the time. Senior year has not been a walk in the park. But on the bright side, I got accepted to one of the five university programs I applied to! :D

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Years!

**ALSO**, **for all those UK readers** (or any UK person who is knowledgeable about UK universities), besides the Canadian universities, I'm applying to the Glasgow Caledonian University (Scotland), Aston University (England), and Cardiff University (Wales). I'm from Canada and I'm considering these universities. If you guys have any personal experiences, feel free to share. I would really love to hear about student life in the UK! Thank you guys so much! :)


	8. Lust

**Author's Note**: How much do you guys hate me right? That's okay. I don't blame you. I kind of dislike authors who barely update. But at least I understand them. So I finished my first semester with fantastic marks... they have sent them to the universities now, so at this point, I'm just praying that they'll take me.

This chapter is slightly sorter than the others, and I'm not loving it as much. But I really wanted to give you guys something. Not to mention I got my first "removed off my story off their favourites" person recently, so it got me motivated to hurry up with this chapter.

And no, I'm not saying everyone should remove my story off their favourites. I would be very sad :p

But here's the chapter, don't kill me, yeah. Have an awesome next month or so :)

* * *

**Chapter Songs:**

Ain't No Rest for the Wicked - Cage the Elephant

Addicted to Love - Florence and the Machine

Feel Like You Make Me - Cary Brothers

* * *

_"The sea was wet as wet could be,_  
_The sands were dry as dry._  
_You could not see a cloud, because_  
_No cloud was in the sky:_  
_No birds were flying overhead_

_- There were no birds to fly._  
_In a Wonderland they lie_  
_Dreaming as the days go by,_  
_Dreaming as the summer die."_

_- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland_

* * *

****Warning:** This chapter has mature themes. Don't read if you're uncomfortable with sexual acts. It's barely any, but just a warning ahead of time.

* * *

**CHAPTER 8: LUST**

"Yes," He hissed, almost convulsing as the intimate pleasure rippled through him. Stretched like an elastic band, he was finally released into a state of pure bliss. The world had dissolved and was sending him through an adrenaline rush – he revelled in the power, in the pleasure.

Groaning, he rolled off the tiny woman he was atop and closed his eyes briefly. Behind his eyelids, he saw bright, yellow-coloured lights and he let out a satisfied sigh. Today had been a great day. Very productive, indeed.

"Mmm... you, sir, are truly fantastic." She purred, snuggling into his left side. "Stay the night, Joshua." Rolling his eyes, he turned away from her. The woman didn't even know his name. Not that she was supposed to anyway.

"Hmm, yeah, sure." He grumbled, lying through his teeth to pacify the newly satiated young women who just wanted to cuddle. Will tried to avoid that kind of intimacy at all costs. Instead of curling his arms around her as well, he laid there as still as a statue until her breathing evened out. Glancing down at her naked body once more, he hummed softly in satisfaction before pulling on his ragged trousers and shirt, before sneaking off into the night.

After a couple minutes, the guilt began to descend on him. Every time this guilt returned, yet Will kept doing these things. Why couldn't he stop? He was an addict to the sensations of happiness, forgetfulness, and distraction. And God knows he needed a distraction.

He quickly sprinted down the streets of London, feeling the high of his post-coital state and grinning like a fool as he swiftly made his way to his home in the countryside. It was a fairly long distance from the woman's home to his house, and Will couldn't help but see this as an inconvenience.

As Will attempted to stealthily sneak through the back entrance of the home, someone shone a flashlight in his face.

"God, Will. Where have you been all night?" Cecily interrogated her older brother, while at the same time, she couldn't help but think: why was she the one who always took care of Will? He was older. He should be taking care of her. But Will hadn't cared about the wellbeing of anyone else for a long time.

"Do you really want me to answer that question?"

"If mum or dad finds out about your late-night escapades, they'll have your head!" She hissed, not understanding why on earth Will would want to be with different scandalous woman. He went out in search of taverns and brothels almost every night, and every night, he would try to sneak back into the house.

Even though it was only Cecily and Will who lived in the mansion, she knew that one day, she wouldn't be here to save his ass and he would get caught. Perhaps in a surprise visit from their parents. This mouse-and-cat game wouldn't last forever. While their parents weren't overly perceptive, they still understood their children well enough to be suspicious of their actions. Well, more suspicious of Will's behaviour than Cecily's. Recently, they had begun to visit much more often than they usually did.

"Well, it's a good thing you aren't going to tell them." Will smirked, already knowing full well no matter what happened and against her better judgement, Cecily would continue to protect her older brother.

"You are an infuriating arse." She snarled quietly, thinking of how she couldn't keep lying for him. This was getting out of control.

"Goodnight, dear Cee-Cee." He said in a sing-song voice, practically skipping up the stairs as one would do in a cartoon.

_You've got to be kidding me,_ She muttered in her thoughts, as she stared after Will incredulously. While he didn't reek of alcohol, he definitely reeked of high-class perfumes and had lip stick stains all over his white shirt collar.

What would happen when Will finally met a woman who could get him flustered, have his pulse racing, and pull his attention away from all other women, except for her? Cecily could imagine that Will would have a difficult time explaining to her his awful track record with women. She knew for a fact that eventually all of this would come bite him in the arse.

Hopefully, that time would come sooner than later.

**xx**

Water.

Water everywhere.

Tessa opened her eyes, only to find herself surrounded by murky dark brown water. She tried to hold her breath but she hadn't had any breath to begin with. Looking up, she could see the small amount of sunlight above her. With all the strength she could muster, she frantically propelled herself towards the surface, her lungs grasping for air.

As soon as she broke the water's surface, Tessa released a large gasp, before sputtering out the disgusting water from her lungs. Slowly swimming her way to the edge of the land, she noticed she was back in London. It wasn't much different from the London of 1878. It was still as lovely as ever.

Speaking of which, Tessa had always woken up in a bed prior to this universe. Did Will's mind get lazy? His subconscious just wanted to dump her in the Thames River? She sat down on the patches of grass and dirt on the edge of the river, staring at the water with disdain. She was cold, drenched, and probably smelled like sewerage.

She lazily glanced down at her clothing - it was the typical attire of a woman in her time period. However, it lacked a corset and a polisón, causing the surprisingly lightweight dress to fall around her. Without a bustle, the dress appeared deflated at her backside and Tessa frowned. It looked strange, but it was more comfortable. Angel, she would get strange looks when she wandered around London.

That's when she noticed that she had feet with only stockings on them. No shoes. Wiggling her toes back and forth, Tessa tried to regain feeling in them, as they had numbed in the cold of the Thames.

Huffing, Tessa stood up and watched as the dress covered her stocking-clad feet. No one would notice. Though they might notice the wet state she was in, as well as the mud she tracked around.

At this point, she had no idea where to go. How strategic would it be to ask around for the Herondale family? It probably wasn't the most intelligent thing to do, considering her appearance was one of a harlot who found herself lying in an alleyway the next morning, along with a pounding headache and aching thighs. With a shudder, she decided just asking around was her best bet.

Reaching down and twisting every inch of her dress and stockings, she tried to squeeze all the filthy river water out of her attire, hoping that she would look slightly more presentable if she was a little less drenched.

Tessa raised her hand to cover her eyes, shielding them from the brightness of the sun. Sunshine in London was a rarity - perhaps it was meant to be interpreted as a good luck symbol?

If only she were so lucky.

**xx**

After an hour or so of walking around, receiving disdainful looks from her peers, Tessa was fed up. No one would let her into their store and no one would even come within a 5 feet of her. It was infuriating and proved to make her mission just that much more difficult. On a brighter note, her dress and hair had dried considerably from the heat of the sun.

Grumbling, she threw open the door to bakery, not even caring about manners at this point. She needed answers. And preferably new clothes.

"Easy there, miss. We paid a good sum for that door."

Her ears picked up the familiar voice and glanced up. It was Sophie.

Mustering an apologetic expression, Tessa turned to Sophie sheepishly. "I apologize. Today has not been ideal. I just arrived in town and was pushed into the river by an awful boy. Both my boots are missing as well." The lie rolled smoothly off her tongue. Good God, living in Will's mind was making a more and more adept liar.

"Oh, you poor dear! Where are your belongings?" Sophie inquired, puzzled by her appearance.

"I... don't have any." Tessa glanced down, feeling her face heat up from the lie. However, Sophie interpreted it as humiliation.

"Are you staying with relatives here?" Sophie asked with concern for the young woman before her.

"I have none," Tessa admitted, happy to be telling the truth for one, before going back to her lie. "My parents died in a fire and I've been trying to find a place to stay for a while. Someone recommended to me... the Herondales." She tried not to make the end of her sentence seem like a question. Whether she did or not, Sophie made no remark about it - however, her face scrunched in distaste.

"The Herondales? The adults are barely ever there and the only two people living in that manor are their two children." Sophie paused, before rewording her sentence. "Well, technically, the eldest is an adult now, but he surely doesn't behave properly. Who on Earth suggested that would be a good idea?"

"A friend of mine told me that my parents were close to their parents... Please, this is my last hope." Tessa pleaded, pulling out the exaggerated doe-eyed melancholy expression. She felt terribly guilty in manipulating all these familiar faces, but she had to. And besides, she was sure that these figments of Will's imagination would forgive her.

With a disapproving twist of the lips, Sophie sighed. "They live at the hills, just beyond the abandoned Church on this road. They are the only mansion there - it'd be difficult to miss."

Her face immediately brightened. "Thank you so much!" Tessa thanked Sophie charmingly. "I probably would not have found a place to stay if not for you."

Sophie gave a soft laugh. "Of course, I can't allow you to leave without some fresh, warm bread from the ovens."

"Oh, no, I couldn't afford it."

"Consider it on me. I really am sorry about your parents, and you look like you've been through some rough times lately." Her eyes shone with compassion, adding a little more guilt to Tessa's plate.

_Tell me about it,_ Tessa grimaced. However, she gratefully took the quarter-loaf of bread, which was wrapped neatly in a gingham cloth. It smelled of home and nostalgia, of Charlotte bringing back fresh loaves from the bakery. It was intoxicating.

"Thank you for your kindness," Tessa looked up at Sophie. "I wish there was some way to repay you."

"Perhaps one day." Sophie smiled, recognition flashing before her eyes.

Tessa nodded gratefully and gently opened the door to exit the building. Behind her, she swore she heard Sophie say, "Please wake up soon, Tess."

Her shoulders immediately stiffened and she opened the door to the bakery again, only to see that it was no longer a bakery, but a dress shop.

"Can I help you, miss?" A young lady sweetly asked from the counter, holding a couple dresses in her arm.

Bewildered, Tessa shook her head. "Sorry... I must have the wrong address. Thank you regardless." Although the room had completely altered into one of a regular dress shop, the warmth pulsating from the loaves puzzled her. What had just happened?

With thoughts of Sophie, Will, and the possibility that Magnus had been involved, Tessa closed the door and began roaming the streets of London, towards the grand mansion on the hill.

**xx**

It was beginning to rain again. Surprise, surprise in London. Her clothing and the small loaf of bread were soaked. Shivering, she approached the front door, which she supposed was much larger than it should have been. Timidly, she knocked on the intimidating front doors, hoping that whatever 'Sophie' had said, was true.

A petite woman in an apron opened the door, glancing down at Tessa's rumpled appearance with a grimace. "What is your business?"

"I fell into the Thames, and I'm not from around these parts. I was hoping that I could find shelter for just a couple days." She lied so convincingly, she almost believed herself.

"The Herondales do not take travelers."

"I have no one to turn to - my family died in a fire in another city where I'm from. I've been traveling for days, and I have nowhere else to go, miss. I don't know what I'm to do." Frustration from living in Will's subconscious seeped into her voice, which was then filled with desperation and hopelessness.

"You have no other relatives?" The young woman inquired.

"No, and I'm so sorry..." Tessa took a deep breath. "If you really can't accommodate me, I understand."

"We can accommodate her, Mary." A male voice echoed from the hall.

"My L-lord..." The maid stammered. "You normally don't allow travelers to stay here."

"You would turn away a penniless girl without a family?"

With that, Will stepped forward, looking as dashing as always. Tessa breathed in quickly - her relief palpable from having found him.

The maid said nothing and merely took a step back, granting access for Tessa into the house.

"Come in." He replied, staring at her curiously.

She cautiously stepped into the mansion. "I'm so sorry for my appearance," she nervously apologized, knowing that appearances were always deceiving. This Will made her feel like a strange combination between euphoric and uncomfortable.

"Please, no apologies. I will lead you to your chambers. And perhaps my little sister's dress will fit you." He gestured for her to follow him up a grand staircase, to which Tessa stared at in awe. Grinning, Will noticed her admiration of the staircase. "Lovely, isn't it? My great-great grandfather built it for my great-great grandmother."

"It is lovely," Tessa agreed, before the two began to ascend up the stairs. She had to keep her eyes away from his behind, which was right before her eyes, making her profusely blush each time her eyes lead back to it.

"See something you like?" Will glanced mischievously back down at her.

"I... um..." Tessa was at a loss for words, and therefore just opted for the eloquent, "No, your house. It looks like the inside of a fairytale castle."

"Right, fairytale castle." Will answered with a trace of bitterness in his voice. The two didn't say a word as they continued to the chambers.

He gently opened the room to the spare bedroom and gestured for Tessa to help herself to this room. Then, Will disappeared for a couple minutes before returning with a couple dresses.

"These ones were always too big on Cecily and I doubt she will grow anymore. You're taller than most women." He replied, holding the dresses in front of him. His focus flickered back and forth between Tessa and the dresses.

"Mhmm," Tessa rolled her eyes, unimpressed, taking the dresses that Will had offered her. A smirk spread across his face as he studied her, causing Tessa to squirm. Fed up with his antics, she couldn't help but rudely state, "Could you leave so I can change?"

Amused, Will looked like he wanted to say no, however, he shrugged and exited the room, closing the door behind him.

Tessa quickly shimmied into the dress, feeling it to be a little tight, but still decent enough. Her ankles were not showing so that must have been a good thing, right? She disdainfully glanced at the corset, ignoring its existence. There was no way she would have a corset [on top] of her smaller dress, squeezing the life out of her. Cocking her head to the side, Tessa analyzed Cecily's dress - it was not an elaborate dress, but it was still gorgeous.

Somewhat satisfied with her appearance, she opened the door walking around barefoot due to her ruined stockings and shoes.

"Nice." Will grinned as he set eyes on her. The uncomfortable feeling that Tessa had felt earlier was pinpointed now. It was Will's predatory gaze that unnerved Tessa.

"Thanks." She glared, before turning around and heading back to her bedroom. She could hear Will's footsteps following her, as they echoed down the hallway.

Suddenly, with a quick pull, Will had pulled her into another bedroom. One that overwhelmed her senses with everything in the room screaming "Will's!"

"Mr. Herondale," Tessa began, her eyebrows knitted tightly together. "What is going on?"

"Please, call me Will." He gazed down at her, moving incredibly close. The midnight of his eyes made Tessa's head spin and she took a step back, only to find her back against a wall. Suddenly, she felt his body mold into hers, causing him to take a sharp intake of breath.

"You are perfection," Will groaned, before descending his lips onto hers. They were slightly chapped, but immediately warm her lips and she could feel the desire surge through her body. Grabbing onto his shoulders, Will began peppering kisses down her neck. The sensation of Will everywhere was driving her wild - his lips, his body, his smell, intoxicating her.

Never once breaking the kisses on her neck, Will placed his hands under her thighs and lifted her up, carrying her towards the bed.

"Tess," He murmured her name like a mantra between kisses. The fire languidly licked up her body as she wanted to feel him everywhere. Even though Will was already above her, as she lay on the bed, Tessa couldn't get enough.

_I need you, I miss you, I love you._ Tessa cried in her head for Will.

There were so many different Wills, so many different facets of his personality, made her want to bang her head against the wall. She also wanted to kiss him until the day she died.

Being with so many different Will's, only to have them ripped away once they were 'cured' was taking its toll on her. She just wanted Will back. Loving, beautiful, spontaneous, humorous Will.

A few stray tears rolled down her cheeks as she kissed him with all of her might. Will was stunned by the passion and love in the kiss and pulled back ever so slightly, frowning at the sight of glimmering tears on her eyes.

"Tessa..."

"Will, please just be with me."

Will immediately brought his lips to hers again, as they both began to awkwardly pull off his shirt. Tessa admired the feel of warm muscles beneath her fingertips. She traced his chest before deftly caressing his back, feeling his movements below her touch. He shuddered at the feel of her and began unbuttoning her dress, staring at her in awe when he saw her breasts exposed. She was exquisite.

Tessa glanced up at him, feeling nervous at his scrutinizing gaze, before he brought his lips around one of her breasts and tugged lightly. She closed her eyes and released a gasp, followed by a moan. Never had she ever felt these feelings before - Tessa wanted nothing more than to consume Will, and for Will to consume her. She desperately wanted him so much that it physically hurt her.

The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Magnus' face appear in a shadowy haze. Gasping - though Will had mistaken it for pleasure - Tessa stared up at the wonderful sorcerer she had befriended.

"Tessa..." Magnus had a sad expression on his face. "You're failing..."

Tessa stiffened, ashamed that she had let the lust cloud herjudgement_. By the Angel, By the Angel, By the Angel. _She repeated in her head, before pushing Will away and standing up to pull on her dress. Her humiliation could not even be expressed in words - what had she done? The sin in this world was lust. _Of course_. How had she submitted so easily to it? Tears began free-falling from her cheeks.

Will was gazing at her in a daze - Tessa was one of the most beautiful creatures he had ever seen. And she had just pushed him off and was putting on her clothing.

"Where are you going?" Will asked, stupefied. He looked beautiful, lying on the bed without a shirt. It was everything she wanted, but it was also everything she could not have. Not now anyways.

"I shouldn't have- I... I'm sorry." Tessa said hoarsely, knowing she needed to get away now, before she submitted to the pull that yanked her in.

"But, why?" He was genuinely confused, feeling an inexplicable pull towards this mysterious young woman. She had led him on, then rejected him and was close to tears now. Will was stunned by the turn of events. "No one ever turns away from me."

And there it was. Lust. He was driven by a need for love, hoping the feeling of love a satisfaction would fill the part of his soul that was empty.

"I... I can't be another game to you, Will." Tessa buttoned the last button up, before hurrying out of the room. It was the walk of shame and she rushed downstairs, not knowing where to go.

As she rounded a corner, Tessa was faced with Cecily.

"Hello, you must be Tessa. Mary told me about you." Will's younger sister smiled warmly. She was dressed primly in a smaller dress. "Also, I'm glad that the dress fits you. Feel free to stay however long you need to."

"Um, yes, thank you," Tessa croaked, tempted to reach up fix the hair that Will had messed up.

Cecily cocked her head to the side and frowned. A silence settled upon them like an ominous overhanging cloud. "My brother tried to force his intentions onto you, didn't he?" Tessa tried to say no, however, Cecily held up her hand. "He's been doing this since he turned 17. Acting up, finding woman in questionable places. I don't know what's wrong. I don't know what's happening. What do I do to help him?" She sat down on a seat and buried her hands into her face. Tessa knew it was a rhetorical question, but she sat down beside Cecily and answered it to the best she could.

"I don't know," Tessa answered honestly. "Sometimes, they figure things out on their own."

"What if it's too late?" Cecily's blue eyes glanced up at Tessa.

"I guess you have to trust that he'll meet someone that will sweep him off his feet and want to give up this behaviour." Tessa laughed bitterly. "I'm not exactly an expert in this field. It's definitely one of the most difficult things ever, to watch your brother fall apart."

Tessa was no longer talking about Will,

Cecily seemed to notice this and glanced at her in empathy.

"We have a spare bedroom downstairs. Away from Will's room. Feel free to stay here tonight, because I don't want you out in London by yourself at night. Hopefully, he'll wise up by tomorrow morning." She sighed wearily, before pouring Tessa some tea. "Here, it will calm the nerves that always seem to run high in this household."

"Thank you." Tessa smiled at Cecily's persona - it reminded her of the real Cecily, always worried about her brother and always so sweet, though thinly veiled by constant satirical remarks. The ache inside her chest thirst for her friends outside of Will's subconscious. The ones in the real world.

The two girls sipped their tea, bonding silently over a boy who was so lost in more ways than one.

**xx**

Tessa hadn't seen Will for three days, and she wondered where he was. Had something happened to him? Had he gone to the brothel again? Did he leave permanently?

"Cecily, where is your brother?" She inquired, watching as the younger Herondale cut vegetables. She was making a pot roast for the household and perhaps even Will. Tessa had always found it amusing that Cecily cooked the meals instead of getting a cook. She had expressed her thoughts to Cecily humorously, to which the Herondale sibling shrugged and replied that it was calming.

"He's getting his act together. I think you may have finally been that catalyst, that miracle he's been trying to emptily find in all those woman." Cecily grinned gleefully, she had known that Tessa was special. Something about her was odd, as if she were out of place in this world. As if she didn't truly belong here.

"What? When have you spoken to him?" Tessa asked, her eyes widening at the thought that Will was picking up his broken pieces.

"Do you mind going to the garden and pulling out two more carrots and three more potatoes?" Cecily asked dulcetly, not so subtly changing the subject.

Grumbling about Cecily and her diversions, Tessa went outside and retrieved what she needed. She rested on her knees and began digging up the vegetables.

Suddenly, she breathed in the smell of fresh bread. Perhaps Cecily was making bread for dinner as well.

She smiled briefly before her eyes flickered upwards, only to see Will standing before her, covered from head to toe in flour. Dark shadows lay underneath his tired and anxious eyes. In his hands, he held a small picnic basket. His appearance was that of a scared and lost little boy.

In a way, she was disappointed that Will had disappeared for two days. On the other, due to those two days, she was reenergized now to help the broken man before her. Her determination had found a new high point.

"What are you doing?" Tessa frowned, staring at him with conflicted feelings.

"I'm sorry about a couple nights ago." Will rambled nervously, raking his flour-dusted fingers through his hair. "But you sparked a feeling in me that I really haven't felt before and I don't know why I can't stay away and I'm glad you stayed and I wanted-"

"Breath, Will." Tessa couldn't help the small smile on her face. He was completely flustered.

Breathing in deeply, Will sat down on the ground beside her.

"I... I wanted to make things up to you, if you would let me. You left your bread in the room that night... and it had gotten soggy from the downpour in the rain you were in. So I stayed up last night to make up for the bread." He held up the picnic basket.

"Oh," Tessa said, not knowing how to respond. She was wary of Will's intentions, but he seemed like he was truly sorry for what he was doing.

"Let's go out by the small pond over there. We could have a picnic. Cecily isn't actually cooking dinner for us. Not to mention it's finally sunny for once." Will smiled anxiously.

"Alright. On one condition."

"What is it?" He asked eagerly.

"Did you bring jam?"

Will grinned and lifted up two small jars of blueberry and strawberry jam. "The way to your heart is through your stomach, hmm?"

"Perhaps. Maybe you'll just have to stick around to find out."

His azure eyes brightened, shining with some mad hope. The two stared at each other for a bit before Tessa nervously shrugged.

"I need to bring these to Cecily anyway."

"Yes, yes, of course, yes." He stuttered, almost toppling over as he stood up so quickly like a newborn calf walking for the first time. The old Will had been smooth, charming, and knew how to manipulate. He had then overnight turned into a blundering fool. It was endearing. Was that what love did to you? Changed you into a complete mess?

Examining herself, Tessa sighed.

Yes, yes it did.

**xx**

The sun was indeed bright that day. Tessa admired the way the sun's rays bounced off the water, causing them to look as if they were dancing. Nature was a beautiful thing that left her dumbfounded all the time. The way water could perfectly turn to ice above its liquid state, whereas in every other liquid, the solid state was almost always heavier than the liquid. It was fascinating.

She turned her head to Will concentrating fervently on peeling an apple with his knife. The peel was in the form of a spiral and Tessa watched on, having never seen the real Will deftly peel an apple before. Once he was done, he cut a small slice and offered it to her.

Tessa smiled, taking the apple slice and chewing it thoughtfully. Doubt was creeping into her mind. Was this all a ploy for Will to get me into his bedroom again? Could someone change that quickly, over a matter of a couple days? It seemed impossible. Illogical.

Or perhaps it was much easier now, because Tessa had already cured 4 of the Seven Deadly Sins. And she was almost done her fifth. Almost two more to go and they would both be free.

"Tessa, have you ever wondered if there was more to the world?" Will gazed at the sky, wondering how he was going to approach this deeper subject. It was eating away at him. "That despite all this evil in the world, that everyone has a higher purpose?"

"Perhaps." Tessa replied softly.

"If you fail to complete your higher purpose, what happens?" Will turned his intense gaze onto Tessa.

"I don't know, Will." Tessa lay down, staring contemplatively at the clouds. They were soft, wispy patches of white the sky, revolving around the Earth, constantly in motion as Tessa remained still. "But whatever it is, that person has a chance at redemption regardless."

"What if that person is broken?"

"No one is ever completely broken. No one is inherently good or evil."

"How can you be sure?" Will lied onto his back as well, keeping his gaze on the stunning woman beside him. This was surely all a dream. He had fought tooth and nail to be whole again. Ever since his grandmother died, the past year had been a blur. His grandmother had looked after him and essentially been his mother for a very long time. She had also been Cecily's caretaker. Interestingly enough, Cecily had found an equally scandalous way to cope with the pain of losing their dearest relative. While Cecily found solace in fighting in secret underground clubs, Will had turned to woman and alcohol.

He had not approved of his little sister's adventures. In fact, he remembers the fight they had had over it, ending with a broken, strained relationship that had once been so carefree. Will vowed never to hurt her sister again – he was ashamed of what he had become over the year, but could never find a reason to leave. But now he had a reason.

"Because if you have the capacity to feel any positive emotion, whether it's love or guilt or any other emotion, it shows you are human." Tessa closed her eyes, thinking of Nate, of Jem, of every person she had lost. "And isn't that what we all are? Human?"

It was quiet between the two for a couple moments; before Will reached down to grasp Tessa's hand tightly in his.

"I originally became addicted to that lifestyle after my grandmother died. My parents are never home, so she had essentially become Cee-Cee and I's mother. I couldn't take it when I lost her, and I continued going through women and through alcohol. It's still taking me a little while to sober up." Tessa opened her eyes and turned to Will. "This… this is going to take a while, Tess. Every moment right now, I'm fighting wanting to sit in my room and drink. I want to stop. God, I've wanted to stop for so long now. But I had never had a reason to. Until now, that is."

"You can't use me as your crutch, Will." Tessa replied quietly. "You need to want to get better for yourself. Not for me. Not for anyone else."

"I'm not! I swear to God, I'm not. And… I have wanted to go back to the way things used to be. But you were the catalyst. The one to knock some sense in my head. The epiphany of when I realized that I couldn't keep this up forever…" Will hesitated for a couple moments. "Does this even make sense? I'm an idiot. Maybe you should just forget-"

"No, I understand." Tessa squeezed his hand in reassurance. "Just don't forget that this is for yourself. You don't answer to anyone."

"I know." Will blew the hair out of his face. "Can we start over?"

"Start what over?"

"You know, friendship?"

Tessa smiled wryly. "You've already seen me half-naked. How are we supposed to only be friends?"

"Are you admitting that you're undoubtedly attracted to me?" He teased, gently elbowing her in the side.

"Well, I'm assuming the feeling is mutual…"

"You are correct in your assumption." Tessa felt a smile tug on her lips at Will's words. "But at the moment, I just need a friend. And my sister. God knows where I would be without her. Probably passed out somewhere in an alley."

The world began to swirl around her as Tessa stared up at the sky. Will was getting stronger. He faced this demon almost by himself, barely without her help. And she was so proud of him.

"It's time, isn't it?" Will asked softly.

Tessa turned to him in alarm. "Pardon?"

"You have to go."

She stared at him, scrunching her eyebrows together. "Yes, I do."

"Sorry you have to go through all of this. My mind has got some loose screws." He gave her an apologetic lop-sided smile.

"Just wake up soon, alright?" Tessa leaned down to kiss him gently, savoring the taste, the love, the recognition from _her_ Will.

"You deserve so much better."

"There's no one better for me." Tessa whispered, as she was tugged away from Will's warm embrace, into a floating dimension of nothingness. She studied the darkness that consumed her, and noticed the small bits of light, shining through the dark. Was this a symbol that she was closer to her destination? Was she closer to breaking through the darkness?

Tessa could only pray that the next dimension would have Will come to self-actualization, just as he had in this universe. However, in the recesses of her mind, she knew that the next sins would probably push her to the ground and kick her until she surrendered.

But this time she wouldn't surrender.

She would not fail Will again.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thank you so much for the support everyone! I really do love you guys :) Sorry I suck at updating. Hope this was satisfactory. I'd give it a C+. Hahaha. It was cheesy, and if you don't like cheesy, I'm sorry. I'm a huge anti-cheesy person, but it just exploded into this chapter. My bad, guys.

_**Review** _for Will to throw you into a bedroom, against a wall, and then onto his bed. :)


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